I Have Called You Friend
by AdariasWrath23
Summary: All these years everyone had it wrong. Only Itachi saw the horrible potential Sasuke had. He saw the murderous intent hidden deep within. And he knew bringing that rage to the surface would be the only way to know if Sasuke could redeem himself. SasuSaku
1. Chapter 1

…This is not, nor shall ever be, the last time I say, "I do not own Naruto"…

**_Beginning Author's note – First-timers to my writing please read-_**

I try, truly and whole-heartedly try, to update at least once weekly. At one point I was updating daily. I WILL finish this, of that you can be assured.

My first chapter is always super short just to build interest.

Please look in my profile if you want finished chapter stories to read.

And YES… the last chapter to "Enemy of my Enemy" will be up before the weekend is out.

**Summary:** All these years everyone had it wrong. Only Itachi saw the horrible potential Sasuke had. Only he saw the murderous intent hidden deep within. And he knew bringing that rage to the surface would be the only way to know if Sasuke could redeem himself and the Uchiha clan. SasuSaku

**Prologue**

_Please be aware that this is up to date with manga 351. If you don't read the manga, you'll be seriously lost._

Feet propped up, arms crossed, the eldest Uchiha sat in deep thought. His haze-filled eyes stared at nothing as he contemplated the recent change in events.

The news of Orochimaru's defeat was not a surprise. The former sannin had it coming. He'd sealed his fate the moment he thought to aspire to the ranks of a power such as the sharingan.

However…

News of Sasuke's new group troubled Itachi. Once again, his little brother had aligned himself with sinister forces in order to gain power. He'd handpicked Orochimaru's most devious and dangerous prisoners, using their freedom to gain him their loyalty.

That he was preparing for a final battle, Itachi had no doubt.

He closed his eyes momentarily. How long had it been now? How many years had passed since he'd taken the drastic step and murdered his family?

Too many years to think about.

He'd been the only one who'd seen it—the darkness that lay within all of those with Uchiha blood. Sure, they all knew the history. They'd all seen the truth hidden at the secret meeting place. But none of them were strong enough to see the reality behind it…or the power.

It was strong in him. But it was stronger within Sasuke. His younger brother harbored the chakra of Uchiha Madara, founder of their clan, and as close to a demon as any man could get. Even as an innocent child, the power had festered beneath Sasuke's personality. It was apparent in his drive to be the best; in his determination to be better than his brother.

It was what would kill them all in the end.

But Itachi had found a way around it.

He'd killed his clan. They would have died anyway once Sasuke's power got a hold of him for good, and Itachi's own darkness didn't hold remorse for the deed.

But by killing them, he'd brought his little brother's rage to the surface. He'd brought out that underlying power. He'd channeled it. Channeled it into hatred of himself.

It was the only way Itachi would know if Sasuke was strong enough to overcome the chakra within him.

He'd hoped that life in Konoha, friends in Konoha, would tame the power inside the younger Uchiha. If Sasuke could accept love and not hate, then the killing force within him would be repressed. He would have a chance at a normal life.

But he'd failed.

Sasuke had failed Itachi's test.

He'd left Konoha for power. He'd left with the intent to avenge his family. He couldn't see past his hate for his brother, and that, Itachi knew, was his fault. But there simply had been no other way around it. Nothing less drastic would have called forth Sasuke's power.

It had a strong hold over him now, and with it's tightening grip his chance of salvation slipped away.

Now Itachi would have to kill him.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 1**


	2. Chapter 2

…There are no more creative ways for me to say that I do NOT own Naruto…

**Chapter One: Three Different Paths to the Same Destination**

Sakura stood silently next to Naruto, Sai and Kakashi as Tsunade stared at them overtop of her folded hands. The blond sannin hadn't said much to the group since she'd told them of Sasuke's apparent victory over Orochimaru. Now, as they stood before her requesting leave, she had to wonder if she was acting in their best interest.

Allowing shinobi to embark on their own personal missions was hazardous by a Kage's standards. That was four less people she had to defend the interests of the village. And it didn't help matters that these were four of her strongest shinobi.

However, Tsunade could relate all too well to the emotions that flared within team seven. Even she, the mighty Hokage, could not shut down her feelings completely. She was sympathetic to their cause, even when anyone else would see it as foolish. Logic told her that hunting down a dangerous deserter like Sasuke, with hopes to bring him back to the village, was nothing short of frivolous and downright foolhardy. But her heart told her that until this matter was settled, Naruto and Sakura would never be able to move into their own full potential.

So it was with a heavy heart that Tsunade finally gave them her answer.

"I'll let you go," she said. "But you're not going after Sasuke this time."

"What?" Naruto took a step forward. "But granny Tsunade! This might be our only…"

"Let me finish, Naruto!" Her brown eyes narrowed in irritation. "I'm not sending you after Sasuke because I'm sending you after…Uchiha Itachi."

A stunned silence filled the office.

"Well? That's the only reaction I get? I won't have Konoha shinobi out there unless they have a viable mission. We all know that's where Sasuke is headed. But don't mistake me…this mission is for Itachi not Sasuke. At least that's what I have to tell the elders."

"Eh, Tsunade," Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, "do you really think that's wise? I mean, since Naruto isn't supposed to use his jutsu anymore…"

The Hokage shook her head and sighed. "It's time. Itachi will come after Naruto eventually. It's something we can't avoid. I'd rather have us doing the hunting than being the hunted."

"Alright! Now we're definitely getting closer!" Naruto grinned. "We won't let you down, granny!"

Tsunade nodded and glanced over at Sakura. The young woman's face was expressionless, but the older healer could see both her fists were clenched.

Sakura ignored her master's scrutiny. It was all she could do to contain the anger she felt at the mention of Itachi's name. Since the day she'd learned about him, Sakura had known that he was their true enemy. He was the one who'd ruined Sasuke's life. He was the one who was after Naruto.

She'd never hated someone so much in her entire life.

And she wasn't going to let him win. She would save both of her teammates from him. Even if it meant her life.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Naruto waved his hand in her face. "Are you okay? Come on! We've got to get ready."

"Oh…sorry. I-I was just thinking, that's all."

Whatever Naruto said after that was tuned out as the pink-haired medic absentmindedly followed him out of the palace.

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The steady noise of stone-on-blade relaxed Suigetsu. He shifted the giant sword slightly, and allowed himself better access to the razor-sharp metal. His hand moved methodically as he sharpened it until it became almost second nature. Suigetsu's eyes, however, were focused on Sasuke.

The Uchiha leaned against a nearby tree. His expression was blank, but Suigetsu could tell by his stance that the Uchiha was annoyed with the constant presence of Karin by his side. Orochimaru's female subordinate chattered on and on, most complaining, about Suigtsu and Juugo.

Juugo huddled against a rock off the side, murmuring something about 'killing again'.

A few days had passed since Sasuke told them of their team goal. Find Akatsuki and destroy them. More importantly—destroy Uchiha Itachi.

Suigetsu didn't care either way. He had no problem killing people, and Akatsuki would at leave provide him with a challenge.

He looked down at the giant sword.

He had other plans anyhow.

Suigetsu could only hope that Sasuke's old teammates were still looking for the renegade Uchiha. It would make it so much easier if they came to him. His revenge would come that much sooner.

"That's right, Zabuza-sensei. I will kill the one who killed you, as well as anyone associated with him. Hatake Kakashi will die."

His whisper was carried away, unheard.

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"You're sure it's time?"

A silent nod was the only reply Kisame got.

"Alright, I just don't see how going after the kyuubi now is going to solve the problem of your little brother."

Itachi glanced at the blue man. "I want to have the kyuubi container when Sasuke comes for me."

"Care to tell me why? Won't the brat be dead after we extract the nine-tails?"

Again, his only answer was silence.

Aware that he would get no more out of his partner, Kisame resigned himself to quiet pondering. If he didn't know better, he'd almost be inclined to think that Itachi wasn't even after the nine-tails at all.

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"Sakura," Sai approached her quietly. It was their first night at camp, and the pink-haired young woman hadn't said much to anyone all day. "Can I ask you something?"

Her green eyes were tired, but she gave him her best smile. "Sure."

"Why have you been so quiet? I thought you'd be happy to go after Sasuke-kun."

She shrugged. "I'm not sure I know the answer to that either, Sai."

"Well," he said thoughtfully, "when you figure it out, would you let me know? It'd be invaluable to my study on human emotions."

Sakura chuckled. "Yeah. You'll be the first to know."

She watched her teammate walk away toward Naruto and Kakashi. The other two shinobi were busy drawing attack plans in the soft dirt. Any other time, Sakura would have joined in, even though it was a last resort to toss the medic-nin into a fight.

Tonight she had first watch, and she was already uneasy about their location. They weren't too far from Konoha, but something about the place put her on edge. It was almost like someone was watching her.

She could sense no strange chakra in the area, and she couldn't detect any genjutsu illusions. That Kakashi was at ease also soothed her fears. Normally the copy-nin was overly cautious, and his lack of attention to their camp made her feel like she was just overreacting.

"Oi, Sakura!" Kakashi called to her from his position. "Wake me up for the next watch when you get tired." His one visible eye crinkled as he smiled at her and waved.

She nodded to him and then hopped up into the tree.

Sakura always loved the calm of night. Many of her fondest memories were from when she'd watched the stars at night on a mission. Back then it hadn't be uncommon for her to stay awake all night watching the sky.

But a few hours into her watch the calm from the still night vanished. A heavy, sinister feeling replaced it, and Sakura curled her arms around her shivering body. She still couldn't sense any danger nearby, but something definitely wasn't right.

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Itachi studied the shivering Konoha shinobi. She had good instincts. He knew she could not sense their chakra, and they weren't in her range of vision. But she still knew something wasn't right. Not bad for a medic.

It might be more difficult to get past her than he'd originally anticipated. Somewhere nearby was the Kyuubi. He could hear the tell-tale snoring. And undoubtedly near the Kyuubi was Kakashi.

The Uchiha was disinclined to use a genjutsu so early in his attack. Whatever he used up on the medic would deplete his reserves for the more challenging members of the group. He would need everything he had to subdue the nine-tails.

He sighed inwardly. He really didn't have a choice other than genjutsu. Taijutsu would alert the others to his presence.

He would simply have to depend on Kisame to distract the copy-nin and the other, dark-haired shinobi once they infiltrated the camp. But for now, he would disable their guard.

Itachi moved himself closer, almost smirking as Sakura shuddered again.

When he felt he was within range, he made a covert gesture with his finger to initiate the illusion.

Sakura remained where she was, eliciting an annoyed grimace from Itachi. She was immune to his illusion. It was something he rarely encountered, and he certainly hadn't expected it of the younger medic. He hadn't heard mention of it in the reports on Tsunade's apprentice.

But as Itachi studied Sakura, another idea began to form.

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**Coming soon: Chapter two: Unbridled Fury**


	3. Chapter 3

…I do Not own Naruto…

**Chapter Two: Unbridled Fury**

"What are you thinking, Uchiha?" Kisame shot his partner a quizzical glance. "Do you want me to take care of the kunoichi?"

"No. We need to form a new plan. Besides," his eyes turned toward the clouds that moved in to block the stars, "it looks like its going to rain."

"You want to leave the nine-tails?"

Itachi nodded. "There's no way to approach right now without raising an alarm. The girl was the one weak point I had hoped to exploit. However, there's more to her than meets the eye."

"Alright." The blue man shouldered Samaheda. "Let's get going then. All this sneaking around annoys me."

Itachi silently agreed with his partner. While observation was an intricate part of a mission, he disliked the inaction that inevitably came along with it. They were men of action. It was their way of life.

As they turned to leave, something snapped the Uchiha's attention back as a dark form barreled out of the brush at them.

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Sakura hopped down out of her tree.

Something was out there. She couldn't put her finger on just what it was, but she was not the only intelligent being awake within the parameter of camp.

_I wonder what kind of animal it could be. _ She ran through the possibilities of it in her mind. Only something predatory would have been able to change the atmosphere so suddenly.

_Maybe it's injured and needs help. _She frowned. Whatever it was, it was on the move. She would have to pick up her pace.

When she finally felt as if she'd closed the gap, she flung herself through the wall of brush that separated them.

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For a moment that seemed to stretch into eternity, the three shinobi stared at one another.

Shocked emerald eyes were mirrored in red sharingan. Even Kisame was so unprepared for the intrusion that he momentarily dropped the hold he had on his sword.

Sakura froze under the Uchiha's gaze like a rabbit caught within a snare. Her mind barely registered the men before her while her body screamed at her to move. _Go! Back to camp! Get back to camp!_

But her limbs were frozen.

Itachi hide his surprise well. He hadn't sensed the chakra of the medic as she'd approached. _How foolish—she ran off into the woods on an instinct._ _She could have been on the trail of anything._

In that briefest of moments, he analyzed her. The look in her eyes went from complete and utter shock to muted anger. Her stance was strong. Everything about her screamed determination, but there was an apparent uncertainty about her that he couldn't figure out. Logic was telling her to run.

He couldn't allow her to wake up the rest of her party.

But instead of bolting as he expected her to, Sakura's eyes narrowed. The word, when it came out of her mouth, was so full of primal rage that she almost growled it.

"_You!_" She snarled at him…

…and expertly jumped to the side as Kisame's sword swung down.

The shark-man chuckled. "Next time, kuinoichi, I will not miss."

Her eyes remained on Itachi, and she ignored the other Akatsuki completely. _That's him. That's the man who ruined Sasuke-kun's life. That's the man who is hunting Naruto. That's why he's here. HE WANTS TO KILL NARUTO!"_

Itachi glided backwards, dodging Sakura's swings as she came at him. He made no effort to retaliate, aware that his indifference was al the more infuriating for her. His sharingan watched her chakra-infused swings. She had no hope of hitting him as long as he was able to read her motions.

But Itachi was also smart enough to avoid carelessness. He wasn't about to ignore the threat a punch from the pink-haired woman posed.

With speed that was almost impossible to track, Itachi went from being in front of Sakura to being suddenly behind her. He caught on of her arms loosely and twisted it behind her back. The point of a kunai touched the small of her back.

"That was rather unimpressive, Sakura-san," he said quietly.

She ignored the ominous pressure of metal on her back and spun around, aiming her elbow at the sharingan master's head.

Without the effort of blocking her attack, he simply moved ever-so-slightly and hit her square in the chest with the butt of his hand.

A whoosh of air erupted from the stunned medic's lips as she slid backward. Unable to catch her breath, she slumped to her knees; hand clutched at the site of where he'd fractured her breastbone. Her green eyes bore into Itachi as the calm Akatsuki watched a small line of blood run from the corner of her mouth down her chin.

"She's quite pissed at you, Uchiha." Kisame stepped up beside his partner. "Have you two met before?"

Itachi shook his head.

"Want me to finish her off?"

"_You!_" Sakura's whispered declaration brought their attention back to her. She had regained her stance, the broken bone already mostly healed. A line of blood still shown on her mouth, and her eyes burned with an even fiercer determination.

_Impressive. _ Itachi regarded her thoughtfully. Her hatred for him was palpable. He could almost taste the bitter tang of her anger. He'd only felt that one other time in his life.

"Sasuke." Itachi said his brother's name as a statement of fact. The medic's anger had something to do with Sasuke.

"Eh?" Kisame hefted his sword. "I've got this one, Itachi. You need to rest up for that Kyuubi brat."

The look in Sakura's eyes instantly changed at the mention of Naruto. Itachi saw it—saw the look of hatred melt into one of fear, and then harden into anger again.

He held up his arm, stopping Kisame. "Wait."

Sakura felt a chill go through her. Pain still radiated from her injured chest. She ignored it, and readied herself for their attack. She kicked herself mentally for being so foolish. If Kakashi knew she'd gone off alone, he'd have sent her back to Konoha. All it had gotten her was a less than honorable death at the hands of the man she hated most in the entire world.

"You're four-man cell was after me, was it not, Sakura-san?"

Her emerald gaze lifted to the red sharingan and then dropped back down to the ground. She wouldn't betray her teammates even in the face of death.

Itachi frowned slightly. "It _is_ against Konoha law to kill a surrendered shinobi isn't it?"

Her brow furrowed. _What is he up to?_

"Well then, in that case," Itachi spread his hands, "we surrender."

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Sasuke ignored whatever Karin was yammering about. Something Suigetsu said was bothering him.

"_You did something to Sasuke al long time ago, didn't you Karin?"_ And then the black haired woman punched the aspiring swordsman with all her strength.

Karin _had_ done something to him years ago. The memory of it was foggy. He barely remembered the first time he'd met her, but he did remember that Orochimaru had brought him to meet her for a purpose.

But he just couldn't remember what that purpose was.

He glanced over at Juugo. The man was calmer now, but he was still more on edge than Sasuke would have liked. It was a shame having him along when he adamantly did not want to hurt anyone else.

But then again, Sasuke didn't have him along because of his fighting ability.

His hand subconsciously rubbed the curse mark on hi neck. Whatever the science behind it was, the curse seal was originally created from Juugo's genes. Orochimaru and Kabuto conspired together to create the curse seal.

And the bottom line was, if it was something they could create then it was something that could be cured.

Perhaps, when all was said and done, Tsunade would be able to use Juugo to create a remedy for Sasuke's curse mark.

He sighed inwardly and increased the distance between him and Karin. It annoyed him that she felt so familiar to him. It was almost as if he'd known her his whole life. She'd invaded his thoughts. It seemed, almost too coincidentally, that she popped into his mind whenever he was tempted to think back on his ex-teammates.

Someone else used to be on his mind. But again, he couldn't think of who it was.

Sasuke frowned.

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Kakashi rarely got mad. Especially at Sakura.

But now, as he watched the two Akatsuki sitting in the midst of camp, he was so furious he couldn't find any words.

Itachi let the barest hint of a smile touch his lips. He was aware that Kakashi was debating whether or not to just kill them. He was aware of the loud ranting that came from the Kyuubi container. He was aware of the silent scrutiny of the pale youth beside Naruto. But all of his attention was on Sakura.

The medic did her best to ignore their new prisoners. She could feel eyes on her, and it was making her incredibly angry. Part of her felt as if Itachi wanted her to lose her temper again.

Whatever the reason for it, she certainly could do without the attention of the sharingan.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 3: Female Enigma**


	4. Chapter 4

…No Naruto for me… he is owned by someone else…

**Chapter 3: Female Enigma**

Sakura didn't realize she was glaring at him until Itachi inclined his head toward her in recognition. Instantly, she stiffened and looked away. It was bad enough the Uchiha's attention rarely wavered from her in the first place—she didn't need him to think she was returning the interest. Her only thought for Itachi was one of pure and utter hatred.

As she stood, Kakashi shot her a warning look: she was not to leave camp. But as much as Sakura wanted to, she just couldn't feel remorse for what she'd done. Even though she'd put her life on the line, the ending had justified the means. Now Konoha had Itachi, and soon Sasuke would come to them in order to get his brother.

All the loose ends were coming together.

Kisame and Itachi watched the medic walk across camp to take a seat next to Naruto.

"She's a pain in the ass, that one." The blue man grinned. "Never thought I'd meet my match for strength in a teenage girl."

Itachi remained silent. Haruno Sakura intrigued him. She was so determined to hate him, and yet she carried the emotion as if it were the most foreign concept in the world to her.

She was his complete opposite.

"Kunoichi." His summons rang out across the camp. Sakura went rigid, refusing to turn around. The rest of the Konoha shinobi turned to look at the sharingan master.

The calm voice of Kakashi was loud enough for only the Akatsuki members to hear as he leaned against the tree next to them. "You'll be dealing with me. Do not address any other members of this team."

"Ha!" Kisame nudged his partner. "You hear that? We're full fledged prisoners now."

The sarcasm in his words was echoed in the deadly reply from Itachi. "You misunderstand the situation, Hatake Kakashi. As a _willing_ prisoner, I will deal only with the person I choose. I really don't think that you want anyone to die."

Red sharingan turned to bore into the copy-nin. Kakashi held his ground well, but he understood the implications of what the Uchiha had said.

They'd gotten lucky. The odds were that more than one of them would have died in a battle against the two Akatsuki. For whatever reason Itachi wanted to be among them, he could just as easily fly off the handle and kill them all.

And if allowing him to talk to Sakura would avoid bloodshed, it was a small price to pay. The pink-haired young woman was fierce enough in her own right. Kakashi doubted that Itachi would be able to faze her much.

Without a word to them, the former ANBU walked over to his medic.

"Ah, Sakura," he sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Your prisoners would like to speak with you."

Her emerald eyes were unreadable. She remained where she was.

Kakashi frowned behind his mask. "I'm not asking."

"What!?!" Naruto's shock was more than enough for all of them. "You can't be serious! Have you seen how they've been watching her? Send me instead. I'll tell those bastards…"

"No, Naruto. They requested Sakura."

"But…"

A raised, gloved hand stopped him short. "It's okay, Naruto. I'll go see what they want."

Eyes on the ground, Sakura walked over the where Itachi and Kisame sat. She stopped a few feet in front of them, her green eyes still trained on the ground.

Kisame smiled, revealing rows of sharp teeth. "Ah, little medic, come over to visit for a while?"

Itachi watched her jaw clench, and she ground her foot into the dirt subconsciously.

She took a steadying breath and asked, "What is it you want?"

Silence was what greeted her question.

She bit her lip to quell the anger she felt brewing inside. Sakura knew Itachi would wait for her to look at him before he would tell her what he'd called her over for. A part of her rebelled against this slight form of control the Uchiha had over her. Another part of her reasoned that the sooner she dealt with the situation at hand, the sooner they could get back to Konoha.

Itachi watched the conflict rage within the healer. When she finally lifted her defiant gaze to meet his, he felt a chill go down his spine under her stare. But a chill of fear, it was not.

"What…do…you…want?" she repeated.

The sharingan master's expression was blank, and he took a moment before offering her an answer. "I wanted to see, up close, the person who failed to keep Sasuke in Konoha."

Her stunned silence didn't last long before Sakura lunged at him.

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Karin grumbled to herself as she walked behind Sasuke. With everything she'd done for him, he still treated her like she was just another teammate. She'd done so much…done so much _to_ him… changed his memories…all for his own good. And he still remained indifferent toward her.

She almost bumped into him as he stopped abruptly.

"Well?" Sasuke asked.

"Eh? Oh." Karin hadn't realized he'd said something to her.

"Looks like you're losing your touch," Sugeitsu chided her. "Not even paying attention anymore you're so enamored."

She shot him an angry look before turning back to the young Uchiha. "Sorry, Sasuke. What was it you asked?"

"I wanted to know if you are able to locate Itachi's chakra."

"Well," Karin looked thoughtful, "It's not that easy. I haven't ever met Itachi. I need something to go on. It can even be just an emotion." She sidled up to him again. "You know, like _love_."

Sasuke hid his annoyance. "And hate?"

Karin nodded.

"Well then," red sharingan flared, "let me show you Itachi as I remember him. Let me bring you in to one of the worst days of my life."

Before she knew what had happened, Karin was sucked into a memory.

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She'd surprised him.

Her hate had gotten her farther than he'd anticipated. Itachi could still feel the impact of her warm flesh as she'd barreled into him. He touched the small cut on his neck. She'd even gotten a kunai to his throat.

He'd let her get as far as she could. He'd offered no resistance. In fact, it was her own teammates that had pulled her away from him.

Now, as he gently touched his throbbing neck, he noticed her approaching again.

Kisame laughed. "Come to finish him off? Have at it, kunoichi."

She looked slightly embarrassed and pointed to Itachi's neck. "Will you let me heal that?"

The Akatsuki glanced at one another, surprised again.

Itachi regarded her coolly but he did not refuse her offer. Wounds to the neck, no matter how small, could prove to be deadly. Infection, if it happened, could go straight to the brain.

He went still as stone as her hand gently touched his neck. The healing was warm and soothing. It was unlike the chakra medicine Zetsu preformed. The green Akatsuki was efficient and anything but comforting. Sakura's touch was more skilled and more oriented to patient ease.

When he realized that she was done and stepping away, he grabbed hold of her arm. "Why?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

"Because," she said softly, "your words were true."

With that said, he released her and she walked back over to where her blond companion sat, watching.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 4: A delay**

**Author's note**: I just wanted to say "sorry" for all the minor typos in the previous chapter. They really annoyed me. So … I do know they exist, and trust me a missing letter bothers me more than a badly formed sentence.


	5. Chapter 5

…I (me) do not (never) own (legally hold) Naruto…

**Chapter 4: A Delay**

"Sakura, why are you so quiet?" Sai glanced over at the medic as team seven headed back through the forest toward Konoha. "Your normal cheerfulness is curiously missing today."

As the newest member of team seven, Sai had the hardest time understanding the quest to bring Sasuke back home. To him, the Uchiha was as much of a traitor and criminal as his older brother, Itachi. But for reasons unknown to him, Sasuke had a permanent place in the hearts of both Naruto and Sakura. He understood that they shared a bond, and he understood the depths of it, but he didn't understand why they would bring Sasuke back when he obviously didn't want to return.

Sakura's quiet anger concerned the former ROOTS member. She was the first person who'd offered him friendship. She was genuine toward him, even if many of her smiles were false. From the moment she'd shown an honest interest in his paintings, he'd realized that she was unlike any shinobi he'd ever met. Sai would never admit it, but he would always appreciate Sakura's steps toward becoming his friend.

And it made him feel concerned when he saw her in her current state.

"I'm fine, Sai," she said, offering him a smile that he knew was forced. "I'm just tired."

"So it has nothing to do with the Akatsuki?"

Sakura smirked. It was hard to get a lie past the dark-haired young man. "Maybe just a little."

"Does he remind you of Sasuke?"

A pang went through the medic's chest. Unfortunately, Sai wasn't far enough along in learning to interact with people to know that there were some things better left unasked. Sakura knew he didn't pose the question to make her uncomfortable. He simply wanted to know, so she replied as honestly as possible. "He reminds me of what Sasuke has become."

"The Uchiha wasn't always the way he is now?"

"Well… yes and no. At one point he did care—I think. Naruto does that to people, you know? He makes them care. But Sasuke's hate was more powerful than Naruto's friendship."

Sai studied her grim expression. "Itachi said you were the one who couldn't keep the Uchiha in Konoha."

As soon as her green eyes met his dark ones, Sai instinctively realized he was touching on a subject that was strictly taboo in Sakura's mind. He swallowed back the other questions he wanted to ask, and turned his gaze back to the tree line ahead of them.

Sakura, however, did not remain quiet as he'd expected. "I tried to get Sasuke to stay the night before Naruto went after him." Her voice went to a whisper. "But what appeal does a teary-eyed, 12 year old girl have?"

Sai nodded absentmindedly. "You do look ugly when you cry."

In spite of herself, Sakura had to laugh.

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The sound of laughter snapped Itachi's attention to the form of the medic traveling at the front of their party. She swung playfully at her pale teammate, whatever the reserved young man said earning him a decent bruise.

It bothered the sharingan user that he was inclined to tolerate the pink-haired healer. There was a strange life about her that was usually absent within a ninja. It was hard to ignore such energy.

He was torn between killing her and stealing her away for himself.

Generally speaking, any shinobi, whether male or female, was deemed a threat and then eliminated. It was the code they operated by. But Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto did not fit into that ninja mold.

Shinobi did not express emotions, and therefore were not on the same level as everyday humans. It was unnerving for him to see—not one but two—shinobi who clearly let emotion play a large part in their actions.

Itachi couldn't have hand picked two better friends for Sasuke if he had tried. He still wondered at the fact that they hadn't been enough to tame the beast that resided inside of the youngest Uchiha.

_Sasuke. You're on our way. I can feel you approaching. I wonder, will this end with your death or will I be able to let you live?_

Itachi's eyes narrowed, his gaze still fixed on Sakura's back. It would be a shame if he had to kill her to make his point.

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"Are you sure we have to stop here, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto studied the old trees. "We could make Konoha by tonight."

"There's a bad storm coming," Kakashi replied. He turned his eyes to the threatening clouds. "Wouldn't do to be traveling in the treetops when it hits."

"Couldn't we at least keep walking?"

The copy-nin sighed. If he had insisted that they keep walking, Naruto would have complained that he wanted to stop. "Naruto, trust me on this. No one will want to walk through what's coming."

And true to his word, a few moments later, the sky opened up and poured down rain the likes of which they'd rarely seen. Driven by gale-force winds, the tiny water droplets felt like sharp stones pelted against unprotected skin.

"Sakura! Sai! Get over here! Use your blankets to keep out the rain!" Kakashi's words were almost drowned out by the howling weather. Naruto and the copy-nin had already made a make-shift shelter from their own bed rolls, and they watched intently as Sai and Sakura struggled to reach them in order to do the same.

The ground quickly turned to mud beneath their feet as the two struggled to get over to their teammates.

Sakura squinted against the rain, avoiding tree braches as they broke and plummeted to the ground. She struggled to place her steps carefully in the treacherous mud. Somewhere within the roar of the rain, she could hear Naruto calling out to her.

A loud crack made Sakura look up into the oncoming rain drops. The curse she uttered was heard only by her own ears.

"Oh shit…"

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Naruto watched in slow motion as a monstrous branch broke above his pink-haired teammate. The deadly limb dropped down toward her with dizzying speed, and the slick ground prevented her from leaping away in time. Instead, she slipped dangerously, caught herself, and attempted to dodge the oncoming peril.

It was only due to someone hauling her bodily back a few steps that she was spared the imminent crushing blow.

"Relax, kunoichi." Itachi dragged her over to where Kisame sat, hunkered down against the base of a large tree. The Akatsuki sat on either side of the medic, cloaks over top of them to provide a buffer against the rain.

Itachi cast a sideways glance at the shivering young woman, amused that she was struggling to sit so that she would not touch either of the S-class criminals. Itachi did not admire stubbornness. He respected courage and strength of will, but the Konoha medic was just being obstinate. To prove to her that she was being foolish, he shifted closer to her, forcing her against Kisame.

For a moment, he thought she would leap back out into the storm.

"Do you mind not sitting so close, little medic?" Kisame grinned down at her. "I'm really hungry right now."

Sakura glared at him, shaking too violently to respond to his remark. She made no move to get away from him. The shark-man was more welcome to her than the closeness of the Uchiha. She'd rather have Kisame gnaw on her arm than willingly sit any closer to Itachi.

A few yards away, Naruto caught Sakura's gaze. As much as she was trying to hide it, she looked like a cornered animal.

And as much as Naruto tried to hide it, he couldn't help but feel that the sight of Sakura caught between their enemies—out of his reach—was ominously foreboding.

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Sasuke watched the rain clouds roll over themselves in the distance.

Itachi was heading toward Konoha.

_Funny, how things come full circle in the end._

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**Coming soon: Chapter 5: The Sin of Omission**

**Author's note:**

Thank you to all my reviewers and my faithful! Just a reminder—this is a Sasuke/Sakura… NOT Itachi/Sakura… though I might be developing something one sided. Muwahahaha…sorry, had to get that out.


	6. Chapter 6

…I do not own Naruto…

**Chapter 5: The Sin of Omission**

_The Sin of Omission: It is not regret for having spoken; it is regret for that thing you did not say_

It was all Sakura could do not to count the raindrops. She stared into the downpour, each moment hoping that it would let up. She shivered, unsure if it was from being cold and drenched, or if it was from the company she presently kept.

"Looks like the wind has stopped." She grimaced as another gust of air pelted them with newly developed hail. "Thank you for your help earlier. I'm sure I'll be fine now."

"Don't be foolish." Itachi turned to look at her from beneath the cover of their cloaks. "I do not want to have to rescue you again."

"You didn't _have_ to rescue me at all," she mumbled.

Itachi smirked. He wasn't sure if she was implying that she'd rather have died than been forced to take shelter with them, or that she was perplexed by his actions. He could tell that the pink-haired medic was incredibly uncomfortable. She was soaked. Her wet hair clung to her face, and one side of her was covered in mud from when she'd slipped. She shivered despite the fact that she was snugly in between both he and Kisame.

The blue man to her right chuckled. "Do you want to die, kunoichi? I can think of some much more enjoyable ways."

Sakura frowned. "Why don't you stop talking about it and just do it?" Her eyes were focused on the muddy clearing, a hint of anger visible within them.

Both Akatsuki members regarded her with mild surprise. It took Kisame a moment to reply. "Nah," he grinned. "I kind of like you the way you are." He leaned down toward her, causing her to involuntarily jump back against the sharingan user.

"Kisame," Itachi brushed away the strands of pink hair that had plastered to his cheek with her motion, "that's enough."

At the sound of his voice, Sakura instantly pulled away from him.

Itachi could tell she was at her tolerance limit.

But just at that moment, the rain slowed from a vicious squall to a quiet, heavy shower. The medic next to him stood abruptly, pushing the cover of their cloaks away. She would have immediately strode toward her teammates if a hand around her calf hadn't stopped her mid-stride.

The contact was like a shock of electricity going up her leg. Her green eyes stared at the hand that so casually dared to touch her. Without lifting her eyes, she softly forced out the words, "Let go of me."

Itachi stared up at her though the rain. "I have questions for you yet."

"I said, let go of me."

His eyes flicked to the forms of Naruto and Kakashi making their way toward them. His face remained impassive, even though he could detect the note of warning in Sakura's voice.

"You will speak with me, Haruno Sakura," the Uchiha said. "It is unavoidable."

Sakura leaned over and grabbed hold of Itachi's hand. She met his eyes as she pulled his fingers from her leg. Tossing his hand away from her, she glared at him. "Thank you for saving my life. Don't expect the favor to be returned."

Itachi watched her walk away, amused that his hand still retained the feeling of her contact.

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Karin frowned, watching Sasuke instead of what had just happened out in the forest. The youngest sharingan user seemed unaware of the weather even as water droplets ran down his face. They were all wet, but the dangerous expression on the Uchiha's face told Karin that the limits of her jutsu were being reached.

Sasuke was usually unexpressive and aloof. However, it was moments when he became still and focused, like a gathering storm, that he was the most deadly. All of his teammates felt the hate radiating off of him as he watched the Konoha shinobi in the clearing below.

Sasuke ignored the ever-there female presence of his group. He was too busy coming to grips with what he'd just seen.

He'd touched her.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. _He'd_ touched _her._ His grip on his sword tightened. The man he'd sworn to kill had deliberately reached out and touched Sakura.

_Sakura._ She was familiar to him. She'd been his teammate. But he couldn't place the reason why he was so intensely angry about what he'd just seen. It was almost as if a whole ocean of thoughts concerning the pink-haired girl swirled around in his head, inaccessible due to some wall he was unable to break through.

His mind told him there was more. But he just couldn't figure out what. It seemed that every time he tried to delve into those memories, Karin was suddenly there in his mind. When he tried to find Sakura in his memories, it was a young Karin he saw instead. Sasuke was no fool—he knew his thoughts were not his own.

The obvious invasion of his memories irritated the Uchiha.

Sugeitsu, at home in the rain, grinned. He studied the group on the ground. "Hey who's the girl?"

The look Sasuke gave him instantly erased the smile from the swordsman's face.

_So, Sasuke's not completely free of his memories after all. Those must be some pretty strong bonds._ Sugeitsu's grin widened at the look on Karin's face. "So when do we attack?" he asked.

"Soon. Wait until I give the signal. And," Sasuke added, "kill anyone who gets in your way."

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They moved at a walk through the steady rain. The ground was too treacherous for faster travel, and the trees above too slippery. Sakura and Sai lead the group, followed closely by Itachi and Kisame. Kakashi and Naruto brought up the rear.

The copy-nin frowned slightly. He felt guilty for giving in to Itachi's request to deal only with the medic. The look in her eyes as she sat with them during the storm was a look he would never forget. But as much as he regretted it, it was still the best way to avoid trouble. Once they were in Konoha, and the Akatsuki were under heavy watch, Sakura would be able to disappear from the attention of the Uchiha.

Or so he hoped.

His doubts grew as he heard the sharingan user address her again.

"Kunoichi," Itachi said quietly. "I need to speak with you now."

Her back still to him, Sakura gritted her teeth. She could ignore him for what little good it would do her. More than likely, Kakashi would just tell her to keep the peace and humor the S-class criminals.

Her jaw clenched tighter at the thought.

Not one to be ignored, Itachi stopped walking. He had just upped the price she would have to pay for being stubborn. "I will speak with you now. Alone."

"Alone!" Naruto's blue eyes went wide. "Are you serious!?! You bastards actually think we'd leave you alone with Sakura-chan!?!"

"What's the matter, Kyuubi? Don't you think she's capable of protecting herself?" The Uchiha's softly spoken question hit a nerve with everyone in the group.

"N-no! That's not it! I just don't think it's a good idea!"

Itachi ignored him, satisfied with the reaction he'd gotten. As much as she fought to hide it, he could see a tiny seed of resentment within Sakura. Clearly he was right to assume that she felt inferior. "Kakashi," he looked to the former ANBU, "you remember our deal."

Torn, the silver-haired jonin looked from Itachi's stoic face to Sakura's unforgiving eyes. If he denied the Uchiha she might end up dead instead of just angry. "I cannot let you be totally alone. I will stand watch out of earshot."

"What!?! Kakashi-sensei! You can't…" Naruto was held back by Sai as he waved angrily at the Akatsuki.

Kakashi sighed and just shook his head.

Itachi nodded, and then motioned to Sakura. "Come."

Her hands balled into fists, she followed him a ways from the group. Her only solace was the fact that all of her teammates were still visible, albeit too far away to help her if she really needed it.

"Sakura."

The sound of her name said so familiarly jolted her attention back to the man standing in front of her. He was only inches away, facing her. She took a step back, irrationally fearful of his closeness.

"Why do you hate me?"

Her green eyes narrowed. "Do you really not know? I'm surprised, for a genius, you're not all that smart."

The only indication of Itachi's annoyance was the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. "Your hatred is not your own."

"It's not?" She glared at him, bold enough to meet his stare. "Then tell me, _Itachi,_ whose hate it is."

"Sasuke's. Most of your hate is from my brother."

She shook her head. "You're wrong. A long time ago, maybe. But not now. I hate you for what you've done to him. I hate you for what you want to do to Naruto. Those are the two people who mean the most to me in this world. I'll defend them with my life."

Itachi was silent for a moment as he watched her. When he finally spoke, he closed the distance between them again. "You have made a poor judgment on a sliver of the truth. Yes, I did kill my entire family. Yes, I did defect to Akatsuki. Yes, I have pushed Sasuke to where he is today." His voice lowered to a whisper. "But have you ever asked yourself why, Sakura?"

She held her ground, but could no longer meet his eyes. "You wanted to test you ability."

"No. I wanted to test Sasuke. Or more correctly, I wanted to test what is _inside_ of Sasuke."

"That is no reason to kill innocent people."

Itachi leaned in closer. "We can argue that point forever. Nothing less traumatic would have awoken his _old _blood. It is blood that I share, but Sakura, what is inside Sasuke is more evil than I could ever hope to be."

"You're lying," she whispered. "Sasuke would never kill innocent people!"

"Just like he wouldn't have killed you and Naruto that day in Orochimaru's lair?"

"Why are you telling me this? Why have you singled me out?"

It was a good question. It was also a question he couldn't answer directly. Part of him saw the potential in Sakura. He recognized her for what she was and for what she might be able to do in the future. That it could play a part in his plans, he was certain. But that was only a part of her appeal.

"You have surprised me." Before she could reply, his hand shot to her throat and he lifted her up against a nearby tree. "And because I know that you must have surprised my brother as well."

"Sasuke hated me," she managed to choke out.

Itachi shook his head. "His sin is omission, Sakura. Mine, I assure you, is not that."

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Kakashi and Naruto were not the only ones who leapt toward the pair at that moment.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 6: Enter the Snake**


	7. Chapter 7

…I do not own Naruto…

**Chapter 6: Enter the Snake**

Sakura still in hand, Itachi spun away from the tree he'd held her against. If he wanted to, he could have easily transported himself somewhere else. In fact, he and Kisame could have done that very thing from the beginning.

He moved his hand from Sakura's neck to her hair where he wound his fingers for a solid hold. One of her hands flew to the place he held her, the other swung toward his stomach. He didn't have time to waste words chiding her as four new shinobi entered his field of view.

"S-Sakura-chan!" The white of byakuugan eyes shone with concern as the members of team eight dropped into view. Hinata would have rushed forward had Naruto not held her back, the girl's face flushing red at the contact.

Akamaru circled Itachi, the hound's lips curled in a fierce snarl. Kiba did nothing to stop the animal, and probably would have let him tear into the Akatsuki if Yamato hadn't spoken up.

"Kakashi! What's going on here!?!"

The copy-nin's exposed sharingan regarded Itachi coolly as he answered the other team captain. "Our prisoner was just about to release Sakura."

"If you don't want him to die an untimely death," Itachi said quietly, "I suggest you call off your mutt."

Kiba's expression was similar to Akamaru's. "Let her go first!"

The Uchiha shook his head. His attention was divided equally between the Konoha shinobi. His curiosity, however, was split between Sakura—who had stopped struggling—and the quiet shinobi with eyes hidden by sunglasses. He'd heard of the Aburame clan, though had never fought one before. The potential of genjutsu on such a ninja sent a thrill through him. As he studied Shino, he wondered how the young man would react to being eaten alive by his own bugs.

"Itachi…"

He barely heard Sakura say his name. When he glanced down at her, she wasn't looking at him. Her glare was fixated on the ground, her fingers wrapped around the wrist of his hand still tangled in her pink hair. It was just then that he noticed a small trickle of blood moving down her neck from where her scalp had torn.

He instantly dropped his hold on her.

"I am done speaking to your _student_, Kakashi. You may have her back now."

The former ANBU didn't reply. He simply pointed back to where Kisame sat, grinning. As he watched Itachi slowly walk over to his partner, the jonin went to place a hand on Sakura's tense shoulder.

A pang of remorse shot through him as she pulled away angrily. Without a word to any of them, Sakura stalked off in the opposite direction of the Akatsuki.

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"Here's the plan," Kakashi motioned to the large group of Konoha nins. "Yamato says the Hokage wants to keep any risk of fighting away from Konoha. With the two Akatsuki in our midst, Sasuke won't be far behind. I wouldn't doubt that other Akatsuki are on their way as well."

"So what the hell are we going to do?" Naruto's blue eyes flared. "Just sit here and wait for them to come and attack?"

"No, Naruto. Be patient. We're each going to go scout the area around this camp--individually. Once the whereabouts of either Sasuke of the Akatsuki are known, you'll report back here."

"Individually?" Sakura spoke up for the first time since she'd been injured. "Isn't that dangerous? We won't be able to communicate that far apart."

"Relax, Sakura." Kakashi smiled at her and a group of ninja hounds appeared behind him. "Two hounds will accompany each ninja. They can speak to each other, even if we are out of range."

"Pakkun!" Naruto knelt down next to the little hound. "Long time no see!"

"Heya, Naruto. Staying out of trouble are we?"

The blonde grinned. "Aw, of course!" His expression sobered. "But… Kakashi-sensei…if two dogs go with each person… there's too many people for that."

"Kiba already has Akamaru. He won't need another dog. And you will be with Yamato and Hinata since you are a target for Akatsuki as well. Sai and I will remain here to watch over _them._" He spared a look over to where Kisame and Itachi sat quietly. "If we don't find anything today, we'll all meet up back here. Remember, we are not to engage the enemy. This is a search party only."

With that said, Kakashi delegated the dogs out.

Sakura smiled warmly at the two animals next to her. At least in their company she felt at ease.

"Alright," Kakashi nodded. "Everyone move out!"

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Sasuke watched at the Konoha group divided. Once they spread out enough, he would make the move toward his brother.

Next to him, Sugeitsu inclined his head toward Sakura. The medic and her two dogs were headed in their general direction. "What about her? Want me to take care of it?"

"No."

"No? Why not? I won't kill her." The water-inclined man smiled. "It won't be good if she gets too close. Those dogs will pick up our scent quick."

Sasuke heard Karin's intake of breath from behind him. "Of course you have to kill her! What good would she be to us alive!?!"

The swordsmaster shrugged. "I like her pink hair. I wouldn't mind having a pet."

"What! You can't be serious! I don't think you understand the kind of chakra use she…"

"What's the matter, Karin?" Sugeitsu hefted his sword. "Are you afraid she's gonna break your little hold over our fearless leader?"

The female ninja's face went red with rage, but her reply was cut short by Sasuke's calm voice.

"Don't kill her Sugeitsu." The Uchiha fixed him with a sharingan stare. "Delay her, that's all."

"Do you need to fight her at all?" Juugo's voice piped up. "Can't we just skirt around her?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No. She'd be on our trail soon after." He pulled his sword out, letting the rays of light gleam off the blade. "Remember, Sugeitsu, do not kill her."

The other man smiled, saluted, and then was gone.

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"He's here." Itachi said softly.

Kisame nodded. "Yeah, he's been hanging around the outskirts for a while. When do you think he'll make his move?"

"Soon," was all the other man said.

Kisame smiled. He'd been itching for a good fight for a while.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 7: The Inner Most Circle of Hell**

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the short, late update. I just wanted to give you guys something to tide you over. Hopefully I'll have another chapter up by the end of the holiday weekend—a much longer one.


	8. Chapter 8

…I do not own Naruto, and have thusly run out of creative ways to say it…

**Chapter 7: The Inner Most Circle of Hell**

"You got this scent?" The ninja dog glanced at his companion, their noses still near the ground. "Haven't smelled _that_ in a while."

The smaller canine chuckled. "When was the last time we ran into those guys anyway?"

"Who?" Sakura interrupted their conversation. "Akatsuki?"

"Worse." The dogs scowled.

"Worse?"

They nodded. "Ninja cats."

During her time spent in the Hokage's library, Sakura encountered few descriptions of the ferocious little creatures. She did know that they were associated with the Uchiha family, though beyond that, they were a large mystery. From what Kakashi's hounds had said, they were fairly familiar with the other creatures. "Are they nearby?" she asked.

"They're watching us already. When you smell them, it's already too late."

As if on cue, two of the small feline bodies appeared on the path in front of them. "Well, well, if it isn't a pair of Konoha's lap dogs." The orange cat grinned. "I almost didn't recognize you guys without your tails between your legs."

"Shut up, fur-bag! Just move out of our way. We've got things to do!"

The cats began to circle. "No, we think not. We don't think you're going anywhere."

"Sakura," the smaller dog called over his shoulder, "get back to the rendezvous point! We'll handle these jokers."

As the ninja dogs disappeared in a howling, screeching, mass of fur and claws, the emerald-eyed healer turned to head back the way she had come. She was brought up short as her gaze locked with that of a sword-wielding young man.

Sugeitsu smiled as he studied the surprised kunoichi before him. She looked like any other female ninja—strong, armed, and slightly dangerous. But there was no way she was a match for him. The "o" on her back symbolized nothing recognizable. She belonged to no clan that he knew of, so he doubted that she held any surprise jutsus. His biggest problem would be figuring out how to fight her _without_ killing her.

He bowed. "Evening."

Sakura's looked was guarded. "Who are you?"

"That's a rather rude greeting, don't you think?" Sugeitsu stretched out his sword arm. "I expected more from a Konoha shinobi."

Her cautious gaze turned irritated and the corner of her mouth turned down. She had no time for delays. "Well I'm sorry to disappoint." She turned to walk away. "Maybe the next one you meet will rise to your expectations."

The Hebi member smiled. This girl had spirit.

With an audible splash, the young man liquefied and then reappeared in front of the retreating medic. He held his sword menacingly, the arm bulging with the muscles he needed to use it. "I can't let you go anywhere."

Sakura's jaw clenched. She'd had enough of people telling her what she could and couldn't do. She'd had enough of being someone's pawn. She glared. The shark-toothed man picked the wrong day to confront her. Without a word she somersaulted backwards, three kunai tossed in her wake.

She landed just in time to see the weapons pass through her opponent as if he were made of water.

_As if he were made of water…could that be possible?_ Her eyes traced from where the kunai should have embedded in him to where water bottles were strapped to his waist. She could only stare for a long moment as the realization dawned on her…

…_how can I defeatk something made of water?_

The strange shinobi made no move toward her, seemingly amused by her reaction. The first thought in her mind was to counter water with fire. But she had no mastery of fire jutsu. So what else could she do?

Sugeitsu allowed her a minute to attempt to formulate a plan. He didn't expect her to find a way to counter him—not even Orochimaru could defeat him. The sannin was only able to imprison him.

After the respite, he sprung into action and leapt toward her. His sword arced down in a graceful cut but made contact only with the ground where Sakura had stood. Without hesitation, he stepped backward and spun around, swinging the weapon over his head as he did so.

Yet he was still unable to make contact with the young woman.

_It's not that she's quick. _ He kept moving toward her. _She's able to see through my movements. What a pleasant surprise._ Sugeitsu was delighted. He hadn't expected even this much resistance from the kunoichi. "Your insight in impressive," he said to her. "I would enjoy seeing you in a taijutsu battle."

"Discard your sword and find out." Sakura ducked and slid away from the razor-sharp blade.

"Surely you realize taijutsu is worthless in this battle. _If_ you could land a hit it would simply pass through me."

She continued to dodge his efforts, leaping out of the way of sliced trees as he cut through them in an effort to get her. _ Think, Sakura. Think! He isn't solid enough to hit…but he's solid enough to wear clothing and wield a weapon. So…that means his liquid state isn't constant…he can make himself solid at will. So how do I force him into that?_

The pale youth smiled at the tense figure mere paces away. She was still trying to figure him out. He, on the other hand, already had her calling card. She was clearly a medic—and unskilled in any form of combat. Foolish—to teach only self-preservation and not battle knowledge. He was tired of this game. If he couldn't capture her, he'd just have to kill her.

His eyes crinkled in amusement as she raised a fist.

_Maybe she's not as smart as I thought. Didn't I already say that she couldn't hit m…!_

A low growl emanated from Sakura's throat as she slammed her fist into the ground. Instantly, a shock wave rippled through the dirt. The earth heaved upward and split apart as the force of her strength barreled toward her opponent.

Shocked, the mist-nin could only liquefy himself in order to escape the cracking earth. It all happened so quickly that his sword was cast to the side. It heaved away from the Hebi member and toward Sakura.

A new plan popped into her mind just as the sword landed a few feet from her.

It took Sugeitsu longer to rematerialize, but when he did he was even more surprised by what he saw next.

The pink-haired woman stepped over to his sword. She leaned down and placed a hand on the hilt. He smirked. _She would never be able to…_

She hefted it with ease.

Sakura almost smiled at the look of disbelief on her enemy's face. "Now. Let's see if you can catch me this time."

And, with his sword in hand, she took off into the treetops.

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"Hatake Kakashi." Itachi summoned the copy-nin over to him. "I have a question for you."

The silver-haired shinobi grimaced inwardly but made his way over to where the Akatsuki sat. "Hm?"

"The mangekyo. How did you come by it?"

"That's none of your concern, Itachi. You know well enough the stipulation behind that particular ability."

The Uchiha nodded. "Then answer me a different question." His impassive face turned to Kakashi. "Do you think your student could handle a glimpse into my world?"

It wasn't a question so much as it was a threat. Itachi wanted to know the secret behind Kakashi's sharingan. And the jonin didn't doubt that the Uchiha would subject Sakura to the mangekyo if he didn't satisfy his curiosity.

"It _is_ possible for someone to have two best friends," he said quietly.

Kisame chuckled. "Weren't satisfied with just one dying, eh? Had to off the other one as well?"

The dangerous twitch at the corner of Kakashi's eye was satisfying for Itachi. He decided to press the matter further. "I see genjutsu potential in the medic. She has potential in…many…areas."

Kakashi swallowed the lump in his throat. "Her name was Rin. I killed her, and that's all you need to know."

He walked away before the Akatsuki could interrogate him further.

Itachi's thoughts were not on what the former ANBU had said. Instead, he was thinking on what he, himself, had said.

Potential. He enjoyed potential.

"Well, guess we'll see Kakashi in the afterlife, won't we Uchiha!" The blue man laughed. "After all, the inner most circle of hell is reserved for betrayers."

To that, Itachi had no reply.

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Sasuke couldn't allow it to continue.

Sugeitsu was already feeling the ill-effects of dehydration. He'd been pursuing Sakura for some time and had used up his water reserve. Now he was dangerously close to losing the equilibrium that he needed to maintain his watery form.

As much as it seemed that Sugeitsu was composed of water—it just wasn't true. It was his signature jutsu and he needed to remain properly hydrated to maintain that illusion.

Sakura was wearing him down.

And when Sugeitsu got worn down, he couldn't maintain his strength. He was no better than a commoner.

It was time for Sasuke to intervene.

He waited patiently on Sakura's path. It wouldn't be long before she could come right to him.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 8: Hell Hath no Fury Like…**

I didn't proof read this so ignore any bad grammar.


	9. Chapter 9

…Don't forget! I don't own Naruto…

**Chapter 9: Hell hath no fury like…**

Hinata's byakuugan glare held as much venom as a thousand poisoned kunai as she stared at the deformed man who stood before them. She'd heard of Orochimaru's sadistic medic and the twisted experiments he and the sannin conducted. A long time ago members of her own family had been captured and treated as laboratory specimens. Now he stood before her, grinning in the same manner she imagined all insane people did.

Only he wasn't _just_ Kabuto anymore.

However he managed to do it, Kabuto had transplanted a portion of Orochimaru's old body into himself. That portion of the mostly-dead sannin still retained his struggling soul.

The irony of his unending immortality was not lost on the Hyuga heiress.

"Our battle is far from over," Kabuto was telling them. "One day, when these powers that conflict within me are under control, I will return for you, Naruto-kun. But that will be after I extract my revenge on Uchiha Sasuke."

"Revenge!?" Naruto sneered. "What was Sasuke supposed to do? Just let that bastard take over his body!?"

Kabuto shrugged. "Just as everyone Sasuke cared about was taken from him by his brother, so too has Sasuke taken away the only person who _I_ cared about. What makes my revenge any less deserving than the Uchiha's?"

"Sasuke's family was innocent!"

"Does that matter, Naruto-kun? You remain loyal to Sasuke despite what he has done to you. It is unfortunate that we cannot choose those we care about." After he spoke the words, a fit of coughing wracked his body, and the medic staggered slightly. He pulled out a black book and tossed it at the Konoha shinobis' feet. "There. When you have defeated Akatsuki, then we shall meet again."

_Now!_ Hinata's mind screamed at her. _Now, while he's weak! If he leaves this place alive Naruto-kun's future will be in jeopardy!_ But the dark-haired young woman's body rebelled against her, riveting her to the ground. She wasn't sure if it was fear of battle that held her in place or fear of acting on her own. But whichever force held sway, she was unable to move.

Kabuto seemed to sense this, and he turned his attention to her. "Hinata-sama, it has been a long time since I've seen you." He smiled slightly. "You look well."

"Don't talk to her you asshole!" Naruto's blue eyes flashed. "Leave her out of this!"

As the kyuubi youth stepped protectively in front of her, Hinata blushed deeply. The telltale red flush throughout her only made their enemy smile more.

"You know, Hinata-sama, it was I who healed you all those years ago after your battle with your much more talented cousin. Your chakra signature is almost as familiar as my own." Her shocked look pleased him. "Oh don't worry. A medic remembers everyone he or she touches."

_Touches._ The word hung in the air around her, and Hinata wasn't sure if only she felt the filth that oozed off of the softly spoken words. It sent a shiver through her.

But that shiver effectively shattered the fear that held her in place. Almost without warning, she side-stepped Naruto and struck out at the grey-haired medic-nin. What would have been a well-aimed chakra hit made contact with only empty space as Kabuto leapt out of her way.

Momentarily caught off guard by their teammate's actions, Naruto and Yamato quickly collected themselves and hurried to join in the fight.

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_Keep moving! Don't slow down! He's getting further and further behind by the moment! _

Sakura's body strained with the effort to keep up the speed she'd set for herself. It was dangerous traveling as she was. When it came to speed, most shinobi opted for the flicker method. The way she was moving—with chakra-enhanced strides—put her pace at breakneck speed. She barely had time to anticipate her path through the forest, and one wrong step could send her plummeting to the ground or straight into the solid wood of an ancient tree.

But in order to ensure that her opponent could still see her and not catch her, she had to continue to do things the hard way.

Sweat poured down her face as she flew from limb to limb. The fact that she was well out of Kakashi's set range was a dull realization in the back of her mind. She had only one thought now: defeat her opponent.

If she had it right, the faster and further she pushed the strange shinobi, the more energy he would have to exert. More energy meant more sweat. And perhaps, when he could no longer re-hydrate himself, he would …

…_would what? Cease to exist?_

Sakura shook her head to clear her thoughts. She didn't know just what would happen to her hunter. She didn't know if _anything_ would happen. But it was worth a shot.

Holding the massive stolen sword behind her back, she slowed her pace slightly, curious to know if she had indeed lost her pursuer. If that happened, she was going to have to double back to see what had become of him.

A streak of blue alerted her to his presence. He was still after her.

She shifted her hold on the hilt of the blade. The leather binding was slick with her perspiration.

Hidden amid the shadows of her direct route, Sasuke noted the brief flux in Sakura's concentration. Instead of looking ahead of herself, she had glanced back while changing her grip on the sword.

He chose that exact moment to step out into her charge.

Instead of slowing like he thought she would, Sakura barreled straight into him. Her grip on the sword slipped, and the cumbersome weapon went soaring through the trees, as the force of her impact sent both medic and Uchiha into a downward spiral toward the forest floor.

Dazed, Sakura did the only thing she could think to do—she reached out. Forcing chakra into her gloved hands, she desperately groped for a passing limb to latch on to. The fact that she was an entire person heavier hadn't even registered.

Sasuke's hold around his former teammate's torso tightened as he quickly bit his thumb and traced a symbol on the arm of his opposite hand. The air beneath them suddenly fogged over, and they were lost from sight.

Something cold and oddly cushioned broke the pink-haired healer's fall. Unable to see in the sudden smoke, she rolled down the unknown object. Her momentum eventually ceased and she found herself sprawled between two, smooth, moving knolls.

But when the smoke cleared she realized the two mounds were really the coils of a giant snake.

Sasuke's eyes had followed Sakura as she slid to a stop, and now he watched her expression go from one of confusion to one of realization. Emerald vision instantly shot up to where he stood atop the snake's giant head.

"Sakura."

Her awe-struck gaze disintegrated before his eyes, and she looked at him almost sadly. "Sasuke-kun."

She was hurt—he could see it in the way she wobbled on the strong snake-skin. He didn't doubt it was due to their collision. Areas of his own body ached with slowly-appearing bruises. He watched as her eyes left him and searched the surrounding forest.

"Don't bother looking for the sword. Suigetsu has collected it by now."

Sakura's teeth ground together and her fists clenched. She stared at the intricate snake scales instead of returning her gaze to Sasuke. For reasons unknown to her, she felt betrayed by his generic words.

She remained silent—her weapon of choice.

"Oi!" Suigetsu landed next to the Hebi leader. He downed the last of his water supply, and sat cross-legged next to the Uchiha. "I almost had her, Sasuke."

"Hmph."

The razor-toothed shinobi smiled down at the medic. "So, her name's Sakura, eh?" Her lack of response only interested him more. He did the best he could to hide the fact that she'd almost done him in with her mad sprint. But the signs were all there—especially to a trained medic and a sharingan user. Sugeitsu was clearly dehydrated and suffering from fatigue. No amount of smiling could hide that.

It brought a small amount of satisfaction to Sakura. "Sasuke-kun. I'm going to take you back to Konoha." Her eyes met his. She could almost taste the coldness that radiated in their depths. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she steadied her stance, discreetly healing herself as she did so.

Her secretive action snagged Sasuke's attention. She was strong—she'd demonstrated that by carrying Sugeitsu's sword. And now, she was healing herself.

There was only one other shinobi he knew that had those two traits. Now, as he witnessed Sakura's second ability, he had no doubt that she had also been trained by a sannin.

With speed beyond vision, he moved down next to her.

Sakura barely had time to exhale. She's sensed Sasuke's movement rather than witnessed it. Now, as he stood next to her, her mind raced to catch up to what had just happened.

It wasn't until Sasuke's hand gripped her hair in an eerily familiar motion that her awareness snapped back to the situation at hand.

Her scalp was still tender from when another Uchiha had held her. She hadn't bothered to heal it since it wasn't life threatening. Now, as Sasuke's fingers tugged on the same pink strands of hair, she couldn't help but wince in pain.

"Welcome to Hebi, Sakura." She saw Sasuke's lips move before someone knocked her into unconsciousness.

The small trickle of fresh blood down his former friend's neck irritated the Uchiha. He hadn't thought he'd gripped her all that tightly. Something about the bright red stream made his blood boil. "Sugeitsu," he let Sakura's limp form drop, "take care of your prisoner."

Up above, Sugeitsu smiled. Sakura would bring him one step closer to Kakashi Hatake.

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Still seated, Itachi's eyes narrowed.

Sakura's chakra had left his range of detection.

He stood slowly and brushed the dirt from his robe. Across the clearing, Kakashi watched the Akatsuki intently.

"Kisame," Itachi said. "It is time we forego the company of Konoha."

The blue man nodded. "I thought I'd never hear you say that."

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**Coming soon: Chapter 10 : …Like a Woman Scorned**


	10. Chapter 10

…I do not own Naruto…

**Chapter 10: …Like a Woman Scorned (part 1)**

Sugeitsu smiled as Sakura's green eyes opened to meet his curious stare. The emerald orbs contained no surprise within them, only a look of unfathomable distaste which caught him slightly off-guard. It was almost as if her subconscious had prepared her for what would greet her when she awoke. There was no room for fear in her piercing gaze, and she met his intrigue with an animalistic expression that spoke of dangerous cunning.

The Hebi member's smile widened. To think—she was all his now.

"You can't break those ropes around your wrists. You might as well stop trying." Sugeitsu brought his recently recovered sword to Sakura's throat. "Karin made them specifically to your chakra signature. You won't be able to free yourself even with that strength of yours."

"Where's Sasuke?" The question was growled at him, and held a feel more akin to a threat than a curiosity.

"He's around. Said something about someone following us." He dismissed her words with a wave of his hand. "You're in my care now anyhow."

The medic shifted up onto her knees. She turned her face away from him as she spoke. "I'll speak only with Uchiha Sasuke."

Sugeitsu leaned in toward her. "You're my pet now, Konoha medic." He reached out his hand and stroked her hair. "_My_ pet. I'm the one you should concern yourself with."

"You can't keep me tied up forever."

He regarded her thoughtfully. She was right. There were certain things she would need to do and she would need to be able to move to do them. It would be a burden to have to feed her or carry her. She was able to do those things on her own and it would be less trouble for the swordsman if she was allowed to. But… having a pet meant that he had to take care of her.

It was an unfortunate dilemma. He knew as soon as she was free she'd be gone. He doubted she would try to kill him. She'd come close to breaking his water-form jutsu, and that in itself made her a threat to him, but her medical background did not condone unnecessary killing. So, when all was said and done, she'd simply run away.

There must be something he could do to entice her to stay…

"I _can_ keep you tied up forever," he eventually replied. "And until you give me a reason to think you won't run away, that's what I'll have to do."

"You could just kill her and be done with it," an irritated female voice interjected. "Sasuke-kun already said he doesn't care what happens to her."

"What's the matter, Karin?" Sugeitsu's tone was mocking. "Isn't she what you're aspiring to be?"

"Shut up! I don't know what you think it is that you know, but in reality, you don't have a clue. That _trash_ isn't fit to walk in Sasuke-kun's shadow."

Sakura remained silent. She wasn't sure what just happened. If she took her captor's words at face value, she'd be inclined to think this 'Karin' was a medic-nin. However, the inflection he used, and the reaction he received indicated that something entirely different was going on.

Whatever they were talking about, one thing was clear—certain members of Hebi did not get along.

"Trash?" Sakura heard Sugeitsu speak up. "You're not one to judge, sweetheart. Last I checked, my pet here hasn't screwed with anyone's thoughts."

Karin bristled. "She's done worse. Just kill her and be done with it."

"That's enough." Sasuke landed quietly next to them, Jugo at his side. "Karin, wasn't there something I asked you to do?"

The dark-haired young woman blushed. "Yes, Sasuke-kun, of course!" Before she left, she wrapped her arm through his. "I was just trying to talk Sugeitsu out of his foolish fantasy."

Sasuke pulled his arm away from her. "Get moving."

Chastised, Karin leapt into the trees.

"Untie her."

"What!?! But she'll run away! I just managed to catch her."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "_I_ 'caught' her since you couldn't, and now I'm telling you to untie her."

There was a tense moment of silence as the two men glared at one another. Eventually, it was Sugeitsu who backed down, shrugging it off with a lopsided grin. "Fine. You're just going to have to tie her up again, you'll see."

With a casual swing of his arm, the mist-nin severed her bonds.

Sakura stood, rubbing her sore wrists. She cast a covert look of triumph at Sugeitsu before her eyes turned to the tall form of Jugo. She did not look at Sasuke.

Two things intrigued Sakura. The first was the kind look from this silent member of Sasuke's team. The second thing was the slowly retreating seal markings on his arms. It was a similar pattern to the one she'd seen on her former teammate. As she watched him, a little bird alighted on the man's outstretched hand.

_How out of place._ The pink-haired young woman almost smiled to herself. _A gentle soul in the midst of killers._

Without warning, she held out her hand. "Haruno Sakura."

Startled, Jugo glanced at Sasuke before he gently took her offer. "Jugo of Team Hebi."

It was odd to her that he should identify himself so. It was almost as if his current affiliation was the most important to him, and that nothing in his past could compare with the feeling of membership he had there. The odd sadness of it struck Sakura strongly, and she dropped his hand.

"Sakura."

She did not acknowledge the summons at first, but after a moment, she turned her gaze to Sasuke.

It irritated him to no end, her avoidance of him. And when she did turn to face him, her eyes would not meet his. They hovered just below his scrutinizing stare, still on his face, but not allowing him to have access to her in as intimate a way as eye contact could provide.

"I have questions you will answer," he said.

"You sound certain of that." She frowned slightly. "Unless you're coming back with me, I have nothing to say to you."

"Are you still wasting breath on that foolish hope? I thought I'd made myself clear."

"And I thought I had made myself just as clear."

"What are you going to do, Sakura? You can't take me by force. Unless Itachi is in Konoha, there is no reason for me to go back."

"Itachi," she spat the name out like poison.

Something in the way she shuddered slightly at the mention of his brother fanned Sasuke's anger to a higher point. He'd seen them interact. But how much was there he hadn't seen?

"I know Kakashi keeps watch over him," the Uchiha said calmly. "I also know, that right at this moment, the Akatsuki members are no longer detectable. Seems Kakashi is getting lazy in his old age."

"At least he knows where his strength lies and doesn't hide behind his bloodline."

As soon as she realized she'd said the words out loud, Sakura covered her mouth with her hand. She almost felt herself step back across the line she'd breeched. Sasuke was instantly next to her, and his sword swung just close enough to her abdomen to slice open the fabric that covered it.

He'd meant it as a warning, but was unprepared for what it revealed to him.

There, marring the pale perfection of young skin, was a thick line of scar tissue. The size and length were indicative of a blade injury, but how she would have come by such a life-threatening wound perplexed him. It was expertly aimed—in that one area of the body where several organs would be affected, where bleeding would be quick and heavy, where healing would be next to impossible. It was meant to be a killing blow.

The look of shock vanished from her face as Sakura followed Sasuke's gaze down to her exposed skin. She quickly covered the scar from her battle with Sasori. The less Uchiha Sasuke knew about her, the better she felt she would be.

"Who did that to you?"

The words were oddly reminiscent to her. Her answer was vague, yet truthful. "Someone who's dead now."

….To be continued tomorrow…

**Author's Note:** Sorry for my lack of an update. My dad passed away last week and this is the first moment I've had where I felt inclined to write. I will post the rest of this tomorrow afternoon/evening. I just didn't want you guys to think I had ditched this story.


	11. Chapter 10 part 2

…I do not own Naruto…

**Chapter 10: …Like a Woman Scorned ( part 2)**

This was all going to be one longer chapter, but alas, I had to post it in two separate pieces.

"_Who did that to you?"_

_The words were oddly reminiscent to her. Her answer was vague, yet truthful. "Someone who's dead now." _

Sasuke's initial anger at her remark faded and was replaced by a familiar— yet still unidentifiable — boiling warmth throughout his body. For the briefest of moments, his only thought was to what could have happened to his former teammate.

Sakura tensed under his scrutiny. The Sasuke she'd known no longer seemed to exist. Whatever he had become, it scared her enough to make her trust in the youngest Uchiha waver. However, old Sasuke or new, she felt badly for having said what she did. In truth, she believed it to a point. Without his Sharingan and Orochimaru's cursed seal, she wasn't sure that Sasuke would have made it as far as he had. That he was still a genius shinobi, she did not doubt, but the reliance he had on his two abilities was obvious.

Still, it was unlike her to be so cruel, and she felt sorry for it. She bowed her head respectfully. "Please forgive my hasty words. I…was just overwhelmed."

"Forget it," he replied coolly. "I don't expect you of all people to understand. But know this, Sakura, you _will_ eventually tell me what I want to know. However, that will have to wait. We have been tracked by someone, and while I go take care of it, you will be in Suigetsu's care."

She glanced over at the shark-toothed youth. "I won't stay."

"You will stay or I will kill you. Understand?"

He said it with such certainty that the Konoha medic was slightly taken aback. Covering it well, she gave him a slight nod and whispered, "Very well, Sasuke."

Pleased, Suigetsu reached out to take Sakura by the arm. When she moved away from him, he caught her by her torn shirt with the other hand. Unconcerned with her strength, he ignored her attempt to hit him.

"Suigetsu," Sasuke's voice was barely audible. "You're to _watch_ her, not touch her."

The swordsman kept the smile on his face as he acquiesced with a bow, but Sakura could see his hands shake in anger as they released her. _Sasuke has quite a hold over this group,_ she thought. _Just how powerful has he become? Powerful enough to kill a sannin…_

"I'll be back soon. Move the group if it's necessary. Karin can always find you later." He kept his eyes trained on Suigetsu. "Don't let Sakura wander off."

And, with that he said, he vanished.

Too annoyed at the moment to antagonize his charge, Suigetsu unceremoniously plopped down on a branch, his irritation apparent in the deliberate way he began to sharpen his sword.

For a moment, Sakura almost fled, Sasuke's threat be damned. But she couldn't deny the part of her that urged her to remain where she was. There was so much she could learn from her position, and as long as she had Sasuke in her sights, there was a chance she could get him home. _Home…_ It was unlikely. At this point, the best she could hope was to protect him from Itachi, as well as from himself. It was another reason she couldn't leave.

In her moment of indecision, she happened to glance at Juugo, who was also hunkered down at the joint of a branch. The markings had faded from his skin and he simply sat, watching her.

A few hesitant steps brought her over to him. "Mind if I sit here too?"

He swallowed, seemingly unnerved by her proximity. "I don't know. Without Sasuke around, I might hurt you."

"Hurt me?" She could hardly imagine the giant man hurting anyone.

He nodded. "I can't control it. I get these…urges… They make me kill people." He choked on the last words, hanging his head with the shame of it. "Sasuke's eyes can keep me in check."

Her curiosity piqued, Sakura knelt down next to him. "Killing urges? What do you mean?"

Juugo cast a nervous, sidelong glance at her. "Orochimaru called it an 'enzyme'. He said it's what caused my rampages. It also allows me to transform myself."

_An enzyme?_ Sakura studied the large person beside her. _Is it an enzyme or an imbalance?_ "Would…would you let me examine you?" she asked.

His wide eyes locked with hers. "What?"

"Well, if you let me check you over, I might be able to figure out how you can control it without Sasuke."

"Hmph!"

Juugo and Sakura looked up as Karin dropped onto the branch.

"Don't listen to her! She's an enemy shinobi! Why would she want to help you?" The girl pushed up her glasses. "Besides, Sasuke-kun is the only one with enough power to control your urges."

"You're not giving him a chance," Sakura said softly. "With the right cure, he might be able to live a normal—"

"Shut up!" Karin struck out at the healer's face.

Catching the fist mere inches from her cheek, Sakura's grip tightened on the offending hand. Her green eye narrowed as Karin flinched within her grasp. "That," she said, "was not a smart thing to do."

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Hinata allowed Naruto to catch her as she collapsed in exhaustion. She'd never seen someone dodge chakra attacks the way Kabuto had. Even after her precise onslaught and Yamato and Naruto's support, the creepy medic had still managed to escape.

However, on the spot where he'd stood, there lay a little black book.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 11: A Thief in the Night**

Author's Note: I just want to thank everyone for the enormous response and support since my dad's death. Despite what you may think, your concern is greatly appreciated and wonderfully helpful. Thank you all again.


	12. Chapter 11

…I do not own Naruto…

**Author's note**: WARNING: If you aren't familiar with the recent Naruto manga chapters, some of this won't make sense to you. However, I'll eventually explain things in the next chapter for those of you won't don't keep current with the manga.

**Chapter 11: A Thief in the Night**

Itachi watched the distant form of his brother plummet to the ground with that of Diedara. While he was amused that another Akatsuki member would dare to engage in battle with Sasuke, it was the form that his brother had taken that concerned him. It was not a natural transformation. It was not something any Uchiha should have been able to do. That it was somehow Orochimaru's fault, Itachi had no doubt.

Though the battle was almost over, the eldest Uchiha could tell that Sasuke was badly injured.

"Looks like little brother wasn't as strong as he thought." Kisame chuckled. "Ole Diedara almost got the better of him."

"Hn. There was a time when Diedara almost got the better of me as well."

"Nah," the shark-like man shook his head. "I don't believe that for a second. Besides, that blonde bastard's had it coming for a long time. You worried about the brat?"

Itachi shook his head. "Death would be a blessing for Sasuke now."

Kisame only had a moment to ponder his partner's words before a familiar chakra signature drew his attention. He smiled. "The copy-nin has found us. You still bound and determined to go ahead with your plan?"

"Yes."

"Alright. I'll deal with our annoying caretaker. You go on without me."

"Kisame," Itachi inclined his head in the direction Kakashi was coming from. "Be careful. Hatake has many tricks. Fight him as if you were fighting me."

"You worry too much, Itachi." He twirled his sword. "Now get outta here."

The eldest Uchiha did not acknowledge the dismissal even as he walked away. It was possible that Kisame would die. It was also possible that he would manage to get the best of the legendary son of Konoha's White Fang. Either way mattered little to him. Akatsuki required its members to work in unison with one another. While Kisame was a tolerable partner, there would always be someone to replace him. There was no place for mourning within his steel heart.

Once out Kisame's visual range, Itachi paused and turned his face into the slight breeze. He could smell the lingering scent of rain on the wind, and the odor reminded him of the fearsome storm he'd had the pleasure of sitting through just hours prior. It also reminded him of the person he now sought intently.

She was right where he wanted her for the moment—in the midst of the enemy. And until he managed to track down her location and carry out the second part of his plan, he would let her work her unique magic on those that had become her new companions.

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Karin's eyes widened as Sakura lightly squeezed her trapped fist. She'd known that the Konoha medic was strong—after all, she'd studied her chakra inside and out within the confines of Sasuke's memories. She just didn't think that the pink-haired young woman would be as fast as she was. Sasuke's memories had limited what she could learn about his ex-teammate. At the time he left Konoha, the girl was still a long way from reaching her potential. Now, as Karin felt the bones in her hand shift closer together, she knew that she'd made an error in judgment. However, she still had an edge.

Pulling a line of cord out of her pocket, she sent a flux of chakra into it. "If you don't release me, I'll have Suigetsu help me tie you up again. I know your chakra signature and I can replicate it exactly. Your freakish strength won't be able to help you then." She forced a smile through her pain. "It wouldn't be so fun around here if you were helpless, don't you agree?"

Sakura's green eyes narrowed dangerously, but before she could respond to the threat, Juugo placed one of his massive hands on top of hers and Karin's. "Please," he said. "Do not let me be the cause of this. I am the cause of too much pain already. Besides," his eyes looked out in the direction Sasuke had gone, "something has happened."

Karin's head instantly snapped up, and she whispered, "Sasuke-kun!" She didn't even seem to notice as Sakura released her bruised hand. "N-no! His chakra…it's so weak…"

Juugo stood. "Suigetsu, Karin and I will go see what has happened. You remain here with Sakura." His eyes regarded the smug swordsman warily. "Karin will have a tab on your chakra, and _I_ won't be far away."

"You don't need to waste your breath trying to intimidate me, Juugo. I think we both know who'd win that battle."

The look the large man fixed his watery partner with served to fortify his next words. "Yes, I think we do."

"I'm going with you." Sakura stood and brushed herself off.

"Out of the question!" Karin pushed her glasses up. "You're not a member of this team. You're a _prisoner._ Remember your place."

Sakura's voice was barely above a whisper. "If your precious Sasuke is injured, it would be wise to take the medic to him and not bring him to the medic."

"Karin is right, Sakura." Juugo said. "Sasuke would not be pleased to see you with us."

The truth of his words did not hurt her as she expected them to. She had spent too many years under the thrall of Uchiha Sasuke. Her heart was no longer his to tread on as he always managed to do. She fought for him now to keep a promise to herself.

She would not let her friends die.

However, a strange nauseous feeling assailed her as she watched the two Hebi members disappear into the tree line. It quickly nestled deep within her core, preventing her from willingly turning around and facing he who had become her only company.

"It'll be dark soon," she said quietly to herself. _I doubt they'll make it back before dark._

"I'd find yourself somewhere comfortable to sit." Suigetsu interrupted her thoughts. "Wouldn't want you to fall out of a tree when it gets dark."

"Your concern for my welfare is touching," she replied, doing nothing to hide her sarcasm. "I would be more impressed if it were based on my best interests and not yours."

He grinned. "You'll soon learn those two things are one and the same."

She shot him a look, but he kept his distance.

"They won't be long." Suigetsu crossed his arms. "You don't have to worry too much."

True to his words, only a few hours had passed before three forms broke through the camp boundary. Karin and Juugo held the limp form of Sasuke between them.

Suigetsu jumped up as they approached. "What the hell happened?"

"Not sure." Karin took a deep breath. "There was some sort of massive explosion. We found him a few meters from where whatever it was detonated. Medic! Get your worthless ass over here!"

Sakura was already on the move when Karin summoned her. She glanced at the disheveled young woman. "I'm doing this for Sasuke, not for you," she said.

"Whatever, just help him."

"I need some light." Sakura gently placed her hands on the Uchiha's chest. He was still breathing. "Everyone keep quiet!"

Sasuke's eyes opened slightly as the pink-haired medic sent gentle waves of healing chakra into his battered form. He searched her face briefly, never managing to catch her eyes, and then closed his lids again.

To Sakura's surprise, the first thing she encountered in her patient was an enormous amount of inert clay figures. There were thousands of them, flowing within the bloodstream. _Did this have something to do with his battle?_ But, since they posed no immediate threat, she left them and continued on to the major injuries present.

A good majority of Sasuke's body was covered in serious burns, and a strange wound was present over one of his shoulder blades. Various internal organs were damaged and bleeding. As Sakura assessed the damage, beads of sweat popped out along her brow.

The hours passed, and the night stretched into its darkest hours. Karin lay, sleeping, against the tree limb she'd slumped against. Juugo, too, had let sleep claim him. Suigetsu was still awake, albeit barely, and he attempted to keep watch over his leader and the fatigued medic.

Sakura knew instantly when Sasuke passed over the line that separated critical from severe. It would have been enough to stop healing then. Sasuke would live, but she would not stop now. Something within her drove her to continue, even as her vision began to swim.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open and were greeted with darkness. A heavy weight lay across him, and he could smell the scent of pine trees.

Sharingan activated, his breath caught in his throat as he saw Sakura's head resting gently on his healed abdomen. He scowled, and that expression deepened as he saw the other members of team Hebi slumbering in their respective positions. He shifted slightly, the movement disturbing a small pile next to him.

_Clay?_ His eyes strayed back to the pink head that rose and fell with his breathing. _Did she…did she remove those clay bombs? How is that even possible?_

After a few moments, the pain of his remaining injuries, as well as the awkwardness of his position caught up to him. "Sakura," he said quietly. "Sakura, wake up."

"Sasuke-kun!" Karin's squeal made his jaw clench. "Thank goodness you're alright! I was so worried." She wrapped her arms around him.

Sasuke's gaze remained on Sakura, who had not moved of her own accord. "Sakura. She's exhausted her chakra supply."

Karin shrugged, pushing the unconscious medic off of his chest. "She'll recover. It's not like your wounds weren't something we couldn't have handled on our own. She just took it upon herself…"

Juugo picked up Sakura and set her against the joint of the tree limb. "Karin, enough. Without her, Sasuke would have died."

"Juugo, wake up Suigetsu and leave Karin and I for a moment."

The large man bowed, not questioning Sasuke's request. Karin's eyes lit up and she squeezed the Uchiha tighter. "Sasuke-kun! I knew you'd come to your senses eventually! We don't need those other two. It can be just us!"

Sasuke disengaged her arms. "Shut up, Karin. I have an order for you."

"Whatever you want, Sasuke-kun, just name it!"

"Fix whatever it was that you screwed up inside my mind, and remove yourself from my memories. I am tired of my thoughts being skewed by your influence."

The smile on Karin's face vanished as the color drained out of her features. "I-I don't know what you mean. I haven't done anything."

Sasuke stood and walked over to where Sakura lay. He stared down at her, barely listening as Karin stammered out excuses.

"I don't doubt that your abilities work on most people. But you were foolish to try to meddle in the mind of an Uchiha. What you tried to completely change, you managed to only partially cover-over. Your thieving footprints are throughout my mind, and I have had enough of it."

Tears slid from Karin's eyes as she looked away from the image of Sasuke standing over Sakura.

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Itachi sat in darkness. He'd watched the meager lights of the Hebi camp flicker and die out as the hours passed during Sasuke's healing.

Morning was approaching and soon he would make his move. After all, it was always darkest before the dawn.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 12: Love is a Battlefield**


	13. Chapter 12

…I do not own Naruto…

**Chapter 12: Love is a Battlefield**

She wasn't sure what woke her, but as Sakura opened her eyes she was greeted with the type of darkness that generally spoke as a precursor to the dawn. A small blue line was visible through the trees on the horizon, informing her that she had about and hour or two before she would see the sun. Within the forest, the darkness was thick. It lay like an inky blanket over the slumbering trees, impossibly dark due to the increased shadows the meager line of light in the sky created.

She wasn't sure just how long she'd been out. Judging on her chakra level, it couldn't have been more than an hour or so. After a moment, her senses came back to her and she realized with distaste that she had been bound up again.

_That's the thanks you get for helping. _ Pangs of resentment shot through her. _Well, never again._

But she knew she only lied to herself. Even if she hadn't been a medic, Sakura's personality predisposed her toward helping others. She didn't know if she could let someone—anyone—lay in pain while she could help.

Her eyes now adjusted to the darkness, she could make out a slender form standing next to her.

_Karin._

As if she could read her thoughts, the other woman spoke up quietly. "Sasuke-kun needed his rest. I took his shift at watch."

"Why am I tied up?" Sakura shifted uncomfortably.

"My own precaution. I didn't think we'd be able to get you under control again if you were fully awake. When you slipped into that little chakra-induced coma, I saw it as a perfect opportunity."

"Didn't I already tell you that I wasn't going to try and escape?"

"Your words mean even less to me than they do to Sasuke. Since it is my watch, I didn't want to take the risk."

"You really hate me quite a bit for knowing nothing about me," Sakura whispered, hating the words as they came out. Hadn't someone just said that to her not but a few days ago?

Karin smirked. "How about we don't talk now?"

Sakura was about to mumble a 'fine with me' when she felt a strange sensation reverberate through the wood of the tree. When she realized what was about to happen, her eyes sought Karin's in the darkness.

The other kunoichi had become instantly aware of what was going on as well, but she only had a split second to react and save herself…

…as the limb they had been standing on cracked and fell toward the ground.

A cold pallor gripped Karin as she watched the branch and Sakura vanish with alarming speed into the darkness below.

Her eyes wide with anxiety, she said softly to herself, "Sasuke's gonna kill me."

Broken, splintered pieces of wood fell through the air like rain as medic and massive log dropped toward the earth. Sakura had fallen many times before but she had never been bound hand and foot like she was now.

It was impossible to avoid other branches in her downward spiral, and she bounced off of them painfully. By the time she saw the forest floor beneath her, she could barely register that death was imminent.

However, the moment she closed her eyes for impact, she landed softly against something and felt herself moving horizontally. She opened her eyes slightly, unable to make out the features of her savior. Tentatively, Sakura lifted a hand and ruffled the hair of the shinobi's head.

"Sasuke!"

For a moment, silence greeted her.

But then her heart dropped as she heard the words,

"Wrong Uchiha."

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"Naruto, come take a look at this." Yamato said as they sat around the late-night campfire. When the blonde youth didn't respond to his summons, the ANBU member looked up. "Naruto!"

"Eh?" The young man's attention snapped back from what he'd been looking at.

Yamato smiled as he looked over at an unsuspecting Hinata, who happened to be in the direction he'd caught Naruto looking. "I said to come take a look at this. You too, Hinata."

The heiress and kyuubi youth sidled up next to their teammate. In his hands, he held the black book Kabuto had so kindly left in his wake.

"What kind of stuff about Akatsuki does it have in there?" Naruto asked.

"Well, what you see here," he pointed at the writing next to a picture of the late Hidan, "is a detailed history about each member. It tells their family ties, country of origin, and the reason the organization was interested in them in the first place." He flipped the page. "But here is the interesting part. I am not sure what Orochimaru's goal was when he joined, but he has written his own notes about the abilities of each individual. Most importantly, he has noted what he perceives their weaknesses to be."

Hinata studied the sannin's scrawled writing. "I-It looks like he was studying them…l-l-like r-rats."

"That sick bastard!" Naruto's eyes flashed. "Even among his own kind he was plotting something!"

"Wait, Naruto, there's more. There's something in particular I wanted to show you." He flipped through to the back portion of the book, and when he'd found the section he wanted, he set it on the ground in front of him.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he read the contents. After a few moments, he reached down and turned one page and then another. After ten pages or so he stopped, his expression one of disbelief.

Yamato simply nodded as his teammates finished up the extensive reading on Uchiha Itachi.

"Is it possible?" Naruto whispered. "Is it really possible?"

Hinata looked up as she read the last entry, her voice just a whisper. "Orochimaru found a flaw in the sharingan?"

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Dawn had given way to early morning and early morning to late as Itachi traveled through the forest. He held on to his burden loosely, too occupied with where he was headed to be concerned about what he was carrying. He knew she was still alive and awake no less, which was enough for him at the moment. In a few hours she would have enough chakra to heal most of her wounds.

Sakura did her best to relax and not allow her body to resist the person holding her. She'd been so tense initially that all her muscles ached with the strain. When she sensed Itachi's speed slow, she decided to chance her luck. "These ropes, can you remove them?"

He glanced down at her, one eyebrow raised slightly. "Of course."

"Will you?"

"No."

Sakura summoned what little energy she had and twisted in his arms. "Is there a reason you won't?"

"I am surprised I have to explain it to you, kunoichi. You of all people should know that you're less likely to hinder me or attack me if you are restrained. Besides, I do not have the ability to create chakra bonds. If I take them off, there is no way to re-bind you. Besides, we are almost far enough away that I will stop soon."

She chose silence after that. She was too tired to fight on the level he demanded of her. Itachi seemed to sense this as well, and he glanced down at her dirty features, amused to find her eyes closed.

She was strong. The strongest female ninja he'd seen in a long time. Yet she was so fragile at the same time. She broke almost every unspoken shinobi law—her and her loud-mouthed companion. The pink-haired young woman could shatter stone; heal critical wounds where others would have failed in the attempt, and here she was resting, battered, bruised, bound and in the arms of someone for whom she felt only contempt.

She was a complete mystery to him.

He set her down when he reached an area he deemed safe, ignoring her accusatory glare as she struggled against her ropes.

"Do not blame me, Sakura."

"Just tell me why." She was forced to lay on her back since her arms were tied behind her. "Why couldn't you just leave me to die?"

"I find it hard to believe that you'd accept death so readily. Regardless, the tree limb was no accident. I am the one who broke it away from the tree."

Her green eyes went wide. "What!?!"

He regarded her coolly. "I could not get close enough to get you without risking my position. Even when concealed, skilled shinobi are able to sense trace chakra signatures. And that female in Sasuke's group is adept in that area."

"So you just broke the branch?"

He nodded. "I sent a diminutive stream of fire through the root system and up the trunk. It collected in the joint of the branch where you lay and eventually caused enough weakness that the weight of the limb forced it to crack away."

"That still doesn't answer my question," Sakura replied.

Itachi walked over to her and knelt down. "Why?"

"You know what I'm asking."

He sighed. "This is a test, Sakura. It has always been a test."

When she looked at him, uncomprehending, he frowned slightly but decided to explain. "There is something within all those of Uchiha blood. It is evil, powerful, but it has been diluted by generations of impure breeding. Our parents, however, were both of Uchiha blood. They were not related, merely from separate branches of the clan. Their union created a merger of blood that has not been seen since the beginning. It gave their two children…unique properties."

Sakura had forgotten about how close Itachi was kneeling next to her. She stared up at his expressionless face, wondering why he was telling her this.

Itachi continued. "We both possessed the ability to obtain the final level of the sharingan. We were both born of…old blood. But it was Sasuke who held a greater potential. I saw it in him from the moment I laid eyes on him. He was different. He was special. He was dangerous."

The Uchiha watched Sakura's lips form the word 'dangerous' but he didn't hear her say it. He nodded. "Sasuke is not fully human. A portion of him, inherited from our ancestors, is demonic. I brought it to the surface in order to test him. I needed to know if Sasuke's human side could control his demon side. But it seems that I have found my answer."

The pink-haired medic shook her head. "I'm not sure I understand completely. What makes you think Sasuke is beyond redemption?"

"I have seen him in his demon form. It seems that he has come to rely on it for power. There will come a time when he will be unable to change back from it."

She was silent for a moment, staring up at the cloudless sky. "And I am a part of this?"

Itachi nodded. "You are his last chance to win his life back. If he decides poorly, then I will kill him."

"But he's your brother."

"There is no place in the world for a monster the likes of what Sasuke will become. It will be a horror you cannot even imagine."

"Is it the only way?"

He shrugged. "It is now."

Sakura was so immersed in her thoughts that she did not register the sound of a water bottle being opened. She was even more surprised when a wet cloth touched her cheek. Out of pure reaction, she jerked away.

"Relax, Sakura. Your face is simply dirty."

"I don't care if it's dirty," she said awkwardly.

Yet she was even more disturbed when he replied, "I do care."

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Sasuke's eyes traced from the heat-blackened wood splinters to the bodiless area of the forest floor. By all rational thought, Sakura's broken form should have been laying in the debris on the ground. But the burned tree limb told him another story. It was a tale he was none too thrilled to deduce.

Only one person could have Sakura. It was a thought that made Sasuke's blood boil. His brother was only giving him another reason to kill him.

The other members of Hebi stood nearby, quiet, aware that their leader was dangerously angry.

Without a word, Sasuke picked his direction and signaled them to move out.

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A lone shinobi emerged from the waterlogged battle ground. He stood, shakily; surprised that he had come out of it alive.

Without a care to the body that lay behind him, he headed off in his original direction.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 13: The Measure of Greatness**


	14. Chapter 13

…I do Not own Naruto…

**Chapter 13: The Measure of Greatness**

Sakura's body betrayed her, and she shivered despite her efforts to remain motionless. Her skin was cool and clammy from being washed in the early morning air. Beads of moisture ran together down her arms and legs, seeping into the tatters of her clothing. She did her best to focus on a fading star in the distant sky—anything to keep her thoughts away from the shinobi crouched mere inches from her.

It unnerved her to have Itachi at so close a proximity. She felt similar to a wounded rabbit under the gaze of a hungry fox. His deliberate care of her frightened her more than any threat he could have issued, and when his ministrations finally ceased, she cold not help but sigh. Her eyes fluttered shut momentarily, and she turned away from him onto her side.

Itachi was amused by the medic's assumption that he was finished with her, and even more amused at her obvious relief. To remind her that he was still in control of the situation, he reached out and traced a finger over the visible scar on her abdomen.

Sakura's eyes shot open. Before she could voice her outrage, Itachi pushed her the rest of the way onto her stomach. He ignored her flailing and lifted the back portion of her shirt.

His guess had been correct. An identical scar, in a corresponding location, was visible on the smoothness of her lower back.

Smirking as she flinched at his touch, he ran a finger across that mark as well.

The wound intrigued him. He wondered if it was from her battle with the former Akatsuki member, Sasori. There were rumors about the battle itself, but neither he nor any of the organization members really knew the truth of it. Everyone who'd been in that battle had died…with the exception of Sakura.

It was a wound Itachi wished he could have witnessed. Serious injuries during battle were the true key to testing a shinobi's character. Would she have cried? Did she simply give up? Would the pink-haired medic have so readily accepted death at the tip of a sword?

The eldest Uchiha doubted it.

Nothing he'd seen of Sakura's personality thus far lead him to believe that she would ever give up a fight she truly believed in. It was her weakness. It was also one of her greatest strengths.

And it was the reason she was the biggest piece in the puzzle he'd created.

Abruptly, he pulled her shirt back down and allowed her to roll onto her back once more. Anticipating her attack, he dodged as her feet swung toward him. It was futile and Sakura knew it. Itachi saw no element of surprise within her eyes as he held a kunai to her throat.

"Sasuke will be here soon," he whispered.

"I know."

"And do you also know that you are not the one he's coming for?"

A mixture of emotions flickered across her eyes and vanished before she replied. "I do. And that's why I know your plan won't work."

Itachi nodded. "Yes, you are correct. In the end, Sasuke will chose death over life. Hatred is the way to death, and hatred is all he has left."

"Then you aren't far behind him." Sakura held his crimson gaze. "You are just as corrupted."

He smirked. "For someone so smart, you disappoint me, Sakura. I do not do what I do out of hate. This is who I am. Nothing drives me other than the betterment of myself. That, and the cleansing of the Uchiha clan. It was a disgrace what we'd become. Only Sasuke and I had the power to change that."

"I won't help you."

He pressed the kunai against her throat. "Yes you will. You will do exactly what I say."

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Sai looked up as Yamato, Naruto, Hinata, and Kiba arrived simultaneously across the clearing from him. The group wordlessly surveyed the battle-scorched ground.

"Sasuke?" Naruto looked up at Sai.

The pale shinobi nodded. "The ninja hounds cannot trace him though."

Kiba smiled. "Perhaps not, but you haven't asked me yet."

The group looked at him, their surprise half-heartedly suppressed. Only Hinata, who'd been on the young man's team since childhood, seemed unaffected. She knew better than anyone the abilities Kiba had yet to demonstrate.

"You can pick up Sasuke's trail?" Naruto's blue eyes bore into the other Konoha shinobi.

Kiba pressed his hands together. "Just follow me."

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Sasuke was not surprised to see Itachi waiting for him as he entered the clearing. His brother stood, arms crossed, a look of impatience stamped on his features. Behind him, Sakura knelt awkwardly. Her gaze was fixated on the forest floor, and she gave no indication she knew Hebi had arrived.

"This is my fight," Sasuke said quietly to his group. "No one interferes for any reason." He looked pointedly at Karin. "Even if you think I need help."

"You got it, Sasuke." Suigetsu and the others nodded in unison.

The youngest Uchiha turned to Itachi. "Prepare yourself, murderer. I am here to avenge my family with your death."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to do, Sasuke? Transform again? We both know you can't defeat me as you are now. Only the demon that is within you has the strength."

"It does not matter how I kill you, Itachi, only that you die."

"So you'd risk everything to kill me? How pathetic. Not only will you eventually remain in demon form, you'll destroy those around you who care about you as well."

A brief hint of confusion was visible within Sasuke's eyes, and he involuntarily glance at Sakura.

She hadn't moved from her position, and for a moment Sasuke wondered if she was under a genjutsu. He'd never seen her look so…

…broken.

And that confused him and angered him even more. He assumed it hadn't taken much to break her, but the question of _how_ Itachi had done it tugged at his brain. It was all he could do to pull his gaze away from her.

In Sasuke's moment of distraction, Itachi waved his hand. Instantly, the former team seven member was on the defensive as the air before him shimmered and waved. He was shocked that his brother could have cast a genjutsu on him while he had the sharingan activated—until he realized that no genjutsu had been cast _on_ him.

The atmosphere between the brothers shifted into a living picture. Sasuke could make out the image of Sakura walking alongside a shadowy figure. She appeared to be a few years older than she was now, and her green eyes held all the life Sasuke was used to seeing in them.

She held out her hand to the shadowy figure.

"You have a choice," Itachi said from behind the illusion. "You can attempt to kill me, and know that I will kill her instantly, or you can trade your revenge for the chance of happiness."

Sasuke sneered. "I gave that up when I left for Orochimaru. That future is no longer possible for me."

Feigning surprise, Itachi cocked his head. "For you? This has nothing to do with you. I was referring to Sakura-chan's happiness."

"Don't call her that." Sasuke clenched his jaw.

The image shifted again and the features of the shadowy figure became clear. A knot formed in the pit of Sasuke's stomach, and he forced himself to swallow the bile that rose in his throat.

The image of the man holding Sakura's hand was that of Itachi.

Within the illusion, the pair walked toward a lake where two distant children waved their hands in greeting. The Sakura within the genjutsu grinned and waved back, resting her head on Itachi's shoulder.

Too revolted to speak, Sasuke could only stare as the short scenario replayed itself over again.

"This is foolishness," the younger Uchiha whispered.

"I'm afraid not, little brother. This is the simple reality. You want to kill me, I will kill Sakura. However, if you allow me to live, I will protect her for the rest of my life. I'll care for her, give her the life deserving of such a kunoichi."

"Sakura would never allow it."

"Again, who said anything about allow? Her choice is as simple as yours. She can die, or she can accept me. I think we both know she's far too stubborn to die."

"Sakura?" Sasuke turned to her, waiting to see the telltale defiance within her eyes.

Her gaze remained on the ground. She did not reply.

Her silence was like a knife to Sasuke's heart—a heart he'd long thought he no longer had. He wanted to shake her; slap her; knock some sense into her. Why wasn't she saying anything? Just a look—something to let him know that she wanted him to follow through with his revenge.

Sakura knew Sasuke was looking at her. She also knew he was waging a war within himself. It was that battle that kept her quiet. The Sasuke she used to know would never have had to think about his own ambitions taking precedent over the welfare of someone he cared about. The very fact that he was debating it now was a testament to how much he had truly changed.

He wanted her to give him a sign that it was okay to attack Itachi; that it was okay if she were an innocent sacrifice. He wanted to know that she wouldn't hold him responsible for her death.

It was an excuse Sakura couldn't give him.

But while she couldn't give him an excuse to allow her to die, she could help him in another way.

Gaze still on the ground, she made her final decision and said, "Sasuke, you have to defeat Itachi without using your seal. It's the only way. _That's_ the only way."

There. She'd just sealed her fate.

The fact that she'd said anything was strictly against Itachi's order. That she'd given away a vital piece of the puzzle was inexcusable. Now Itachi had nothing to base Sasuke's test on. The whole basis of the final battle had been to see if Sasuke could choose humanity over power.

Sakura ruined Itachi's test just as surely as if she'd killed him herself.

She was not surprised when he grabbed her by the shirt, holding her close as he backhanded her. He leaned down next to her ear, his voice a low growl. "I warned you Sakura. There will be no mercy for you now."

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**Coming soon: Chapter 14: The Road to Hell is paved with Good Intentions**

**Author's note:** Forgive the late update. I had this written last week and the disk I saved it to lost all the data on it. I had to rewrite it and I wasn't too happy.


	15. Chapter 14

I do not own Naruto.

**Pre-Chapter 14: The Road to Hell is paved with Good Intentions**

Author's note: I'll offer no excuses for my MIA status. Simply know that I'll keep my promise and finish this story.

The following "chapter" is short. Very, very short. It's to let you know I'm still here, and to inform you I'll have an new, complete, chapter up by this Sat. It's also to make sure all my alerts are still working. That being said, please enjoy the small tidbit below.

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Suigetsu watched the interlude between Sasuke and Itachi with mild amusement. While he respected Sasuke as a shinobi, and followed his orders because he was his superior, the swordsman had his own agendas. In the end, whatever happened between the Uchiha brothers did little to change his ultimate goal.

He had to hand it to Itachi, however. Genjutsu was clearly not the only mental prowess the Akatsuki member had. Blatent manipulation, an ability almost anyone could use, sometimes was more powerful that any technique used by ninja. The ability to read people; know their deepest wants and desires, and then use those things against them, was an art form. Watching Itachi's move for power was equivalent to watching a well-done play.

The air around them was saturated with vibrations of emotion. Sasuke was angry. Itachi was angry. Sakura was angry. Three different types of anger swirled around the atmosphere together.

But it wasn't until Itachi whispered, "I'll see you at the Uchiha compound" and then disappeared, Sakura in hand, that Sasuke's anger overflowed.

Coming THIS WEEK: The real chapter 14.


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 14: The Road to Hell is paved with Good Intentions**

(BTW, I don't own Naruto)

**Important Author's note: If you're not completely up to date with the manga, this chapter will throw you a little. **

Sakura allowed a small sigh of relief to escape as they materialized in a small woodland clearing. The Uchiha compound was nowhere in sight, though the medic nin doubted her field of view went very far through the dense under-growth. She shifted uncomfortably, her hands burning from the awkward position the chakra bonds held them in. After the brief assessment of her surroundings, she brought her guarded gaze to meet Itachi's.

"There's no mercy for you now, Sakura," he repeated. "What happens from this point on will be on your conscience."

"I'm not afraid of you anymore, Itachi. There's nothing you can do to me that I'm not ready for."

He stared at her, his expression dark, before he answered. "I'm not going to do anything to you. In fact, I'm going to leave you here for your team to find." At her surprised look he knelt down next to her, aware that his closeness made her uncomfortable. "I would have treated you properly, Sakura," he whispered. "Now you will have to face the fate you've chosen."

"What do you mean?"

He took out kunai—_her kunai_—and tossed them into a nearby tree; out of reach. "I have given you something, Sakura. Just as I have given Uzumaki Naruto something. When your team comes, do not bother following to the Uchiha compound. You will already be too late."

And then he was gone, leaving her to wait for rescue.

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"There's two trails. We can either follow Sasuke's or we can follow Itachi's. Chances are they're going to the same place." Kiba frowned. "Sakura's scent in intermingled more closely with the older Uchiha."

All eyes turned to Naruto. His jaw clenched, and he tightened his hands in to fists. Who to go after? Sasuke, who'd been his quarry for more than three years? Or Sakura, who'd been his closest, truest friend through it all. She wanted Sasuke back as much as he did. Though his mind was warring, it only took Naruto a moment to reply, "We go after Sakura-chan!"

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Sakura did her best to tune out the forest noises around her. The sounds native to the woodland were too alive and happy compared to how she felt inside. Itachi's departure weighed down on her heart like a dark blanket. She didn't fully understand what he'd been talking about, or why he was doing what he was doing. It seemed like there was so much more to it than Sasuke's salvation. It was almost like he was protecting someone or _something. _For the life of her, she couldn't put her finger on it. His parting words left her unsettled, and she felt like she'd inadvertently set events into motion that were beyond her control.

She did know, however, that Sasuke and Itachi were about to settle what lay between them, and that nothing she could do or say now would change that. He only hope was to reach the Uchiha compound before one of them was killed. _Why do you care if Itachi dies? He's a murderer. He's driven Sasuke to this. If anything, you should help Sasuke._ She shouldn't have cared if Itachi died. But a part of her desperately wanted to learn more about his motives. From the moment he'd seen her he'd known her strengths, weaknesses, fears, goals. He'd seen through her, and he'd judged her accordingly. To Sakura, the death of that kind of talent was a terrible shame.

A strong chakra signature interrupted her thoughts. With a sigh of relief, she shifted her position on the ground. Her team had found her quickly. Perhaps they still had time after all.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto barreled through the brush toward her. His blue eyes flashed as he searched the clearing for Itachi. "Where is he? Where's that bastard?"

"There's no time Naruto!" Sakura said as the rest of the Konoha crew filed into the area. "We've got to get to the old Uchiha compound! We have to stop them before they kill each other!"

Hinata knelt down and cut her pink-haired friend's bonds. "T-the Uchiha compound?"

Sakura nodded. "We've no time to lose; we've got to go right now."

"Alright! You heard Sakura-chan!" Naruto signaled to the rest of the team. "Let's go save Sasuke!"

"It's not going to be that easy, Naruto." Yamato frowned slightly. "We will be unwanted guests to both Uchiha. Let's go, but we're not going to barge in, head first. Kakashi hasn't even rejoined the party. It's bad enough he won't know where we are as it is."

"I've waited years for this moment, and I'm not going to let Sasuke get away again! Come on, Sakura-chan."

Sakura glanced around at the faces of the tired Konoha shinobi. She knew the situation was more urgent than even Naruto made it out to be. "Okay, Naruto. Let's go."

It wasn't long before the rest of the group followed them into the trees.

Kiba's keen tracking ability allowed them to follow Itachi's path toward the Uchiha compound. To Sakura, the trip was painfully long and slow. No matter how fast they traveled in the tree tops, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were too far behind. The uncertainty of what they would find when they arrived made her nauseous. Would she heal Itachi if he were the body they came across? She didn't know the answer to that question. She didn't know if she could heal him, and she didn't know if she could let him die. Although it was a dilemma, she preferred it to the alternative. Even though Sasuke had changed enough for her to doubt him, she didn't want to see him die.

As the ruins appeared in view, the Konoha shinobi slowed their pace and spread out from one another. Silently, they alighted on the crumbled remains of what was once the Uchiha compound.

Nothing but the ghostly aftermath of a devastating battle met their gaze.

Blood was spattered everywhere around the remnants of stone walls. Pools of it lay here and there along the floor.

But no bodies were to be seen.

"There's no one here." Naruto's voice held hints of tightly controlled anger and frustration. "There's no one here."

Sakura's eyes locked on to one large, body-size blood patch. "He was right," she whispered softly. "We were too late."

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"Now do you understand?"

Sasuke refused to look at the masked man before him. The things he'd told him were lies, they had to be. But, in his heart of hearts, Sasuke knew Uchiha Madara was not lying. "I'll help you," he said cautiously. "Just tell me what you need me to do."

Behind his mask, Uchiha Madara was smiling.

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Taking the long way home, Sakura was too lost in her thoughts to notice the eerie silence that surrounded the district of Konoha she shuffled through. Her mind wandered to Naruto. It'd been months since they'd learned of Itachi's death, but only days since they'd learned of Sasuke's criminal status in the other countries. That he'd joined Akatsuki only added more questions to her theory that Itachi hadn't told her the entire story. Naruto, away with the frog sage training, was unaware of this latest development. How he would take the news, Sakura wasn't sure. Naruto had been through a lot lately.

Though immersed in her own mind, the medic's attention was snagged by a strange figure standing along Konoha's wall. It wasn't so much the fact that he shouldn't have been there; it was the way he just stood there as if he was waiting for something. Anticipating. That's what came to mind when she noticed him.

Never mind the black and red cloak that billowed in the breeze.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 15 : Great Love Brings Potential for Great Hate**


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 15: Great Love Brings Potential For Great Hate**

Alas, Naruto, I own you not.

"A flaw in the sharingan?" Tsunade thumbed through the pages of the book Yamato had given her. A moment after her puzzled whisper, she looked up at Shizune. "It's remarkable. Only years of experimenting could have uncovered something like this. Orochimaru's hate for Itachi must have run deeper than we thought."

"Remarkable, yes. But how do we utilize this knowledge in battle?" Shizune asked. "Is it possible for Naruto to use this against Sasuke?"

The last remaining sannin shook her head. "Even if Naruto could use it, I doubt he would. He'd probably see it as cheating, even though ninja are supposed to exploit their enemies' weaknesses. He wants to beat Sasuke on his own level."

"Maybe it's time you put a stop to Naruto's foolish quest. I think it's obvious from the Uchiha's latest activities that we can no longer accept him back into the village."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, and her voice took on a hardened edge. "Don't advise me on matters above you, Shizune. Naruto's quest is more important to the village than you realize."

"Why, Tsunade-sama? Because he's the last sharingan user? Or is this just you hoping that Naruto won't have to share your path of losing everyone that matters to him?!"

The silence following Shizune's statement was deafening. She'd crossed a line and thy both knew it.

Wordlessly, Tsunade pointed at the door, and Shizune was happy to oblige her.

As her apprentice left, the sannin resisted the urge to pound her desk into tiny pieces. She knew her fellow medic was right in her own way. Sasuke was a traitor. He was a criminal. He was causing bad relations with other countries. The council would never let him rejoin Konoha.

She sighed.

But if Sakura and Naruto had faith in him then so would she.

"Oi, Tsunade-sama, should I come back later?"

She looked up at Kakashi, surprised he'd picked this moment to intrude upon her thoughts. Ever since his battle with the Mist-nin, the copy ninja had been quieter than usual. She had to admit, she'd never seen him in that bad of shape returning from a mission. He was lucky to be alive.

"No, actually. Tell me, Kakashi, what do you _really_ think about the council of elders?"

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Sakura ducked behind a homestead wall as a Konoha shinboi went flying through the building next to her. Dust infiltrated the air, momentarily blocking the strange akatsuki shinobi and his summons creature from her view. All around her, she could hear the screams of her comrades. Where and when she could, she darted through the battle ground on Konoha's most western edge, healing those that she found.

It hadn't taken long for shinobi in the immediate area to realize they were under attack. The guards at the outpost were found, dead, and the alarm had been raised. The news hadn't reached the Hokage's tower yet, as no reinforcements had arrived, and Sakura wasn't sure why. Someone had to have been able to get through.

However, as she dared a look over the edge of the wall, she found the enemy's eyes instantly on her. _Damn. I can't barely move without him knowing it. _ He'd been watching her activities, blocking her as she tried to maneuver to the injured. He recognized her as a medic, and knew her value. He wasn't about to let her continue doing her job.

Crawling along the edge of the wall, she slipped through the doorway to the empty house. From under the rubble, a bloody hand was visible, and Sakura crept over to it. Touching the cool skin, Sakura shuddered. He was dead. She needed to move on.

Wiping the grimy perspiration from her forehead, she paused, uncertain what had made her chest suddenly clench with fear. She looked around for a moment until she realize what set her body on edge.

The screaming had stopped.

Only silence surrounded her now, and she knew she was alone. Everyone else was dead.

He would be looking for her now. She knew he wasn't going to leave anyone alive in his wake. Her one and only chance now was to make a break for it and reach the Hokage tower herself.

_Don't be foolish, Sakura. Someone got through. Tsunade-sama knows about this. She has to. _

But then where were the rest of the village ninja?

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"Protect the hospital!" Tsunade hollered out to Genma as he raced by, a wounded member of his team in arm. "Get a line of shinobi to it's entrance! We're gonna need a safe haven!"

The Hokage pushed past the increasing crowd of civilians piling into the Konoha medical ward. _Sasuke, is this your doing? Or are you a slave to the Rinnegan as well?_ The blonde woman steeled herself as she rushed out amidst Konoha's finest. "Shikamaru! Get your team over to the Western edge. Kakashi! Go see what's happened at the East gate! Gai! Lee! We've got four other breeches! Everyone divide up and move out!"

Six Rinnegan had come to Konoha. Tsunade's heart sank. _Jiraiya, how I need you now._

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Sasuke stood on top of Konoha's outermost gate, watching with Uchiha Madara as Pein's personal army rampaged through the city. His eyes held no hint of remorse as he watched areas of his homeland burn. They had done this to him. They'd destroyed Itachi, murdered his family. They'd hated the Uchiha. And to think, after all those years of being away, it was here that he was supposed to be. Here was where his revenge would really take form.

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Knees bloody from crawling over sharp rocks, Sakura's gut told her the Akatsuki with the strange eyes was toying with her. Leaning against a partially obliterated pillar, she glanced up at the smoke billowing into the blue of the sky.

_Sasuke?_ She sat up, squinting to see the two forms atop the gate better through the smoke.

"Ino! Stay behind Choji! Steer clear of the summons creature! Everyone else, concentrate on the Akatsuki!"

"Shikamaru?" Sakura hopped to her feet and raced toward the sound of her classmate's voice. "Shikamaru! Wait! His eyes! Watch out for his e--!"

A massive tail slammed down in front of her, the force of it throwing her back a few yards. She recovered slowly, dazed from cracking her head off the hard road. She saw Shikamaru calling out orders from the top of a nearby building. His teammates stood on the ground, Ino ready for an opportunity to catch the Akatsuki in a mind hold.

_This isn't right. _Sakura darted back around the way she'd come. _This isn't a normal battle. Shikamaru, don't forget what Tsunade told us about the Rinnegan! _Finding an opening, the medic leapt across the rubble just as Ino's body fell limp, her mind now transferred to that of the summoner.

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Emptiness. Complete and Utter emptiness.

Ino searched for control in the mind she'd entered only to find there was no mind to control. Someone was already pulling this puppet's string s from outside.

As she was about to release her hold, a pair of eerie eyes loomed over her in the darkness.

It was at that moment that Ino fully and completely understood the Rinnegan.

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_Something's wrong!_ Sakura could tell by the way the Akatsuki kept fighting that Ino had no control over him. She could also see that Ino was not back in her own body. The other girl was trapped.

_Sasuke, why aren't you stopping this?_ She glanced up at him as she raced over to where Ino lay._ Why are letting this happen?_

A new summons creature appeared nearby, it's body coated with poisonous spikes.

_Why? What would bring you to this?_

Ino lay a few feet away, and Choji looked up as Sakura's sprint brought her to them.

"Sakura! I-I don't know what's wrong with Ino! She hasn't come ba—"

Blood spattered against the building, along the road, and all over Sakura as a needle-like extension of the summoned beast impaled both Choji and Ino.

The world around her vanished as Sakura's mind struggled to come to come to grips with what had just happened. In what felt like slow motion, she cried out, her ears deaf to her own voice, and fell to her knees at the bodies of her friends. Forcing healing chakra into them, she blocked out Shikamaru's hands on her shoulders trying to pull her away. She couldn't hear him. She couldn't see him. Only blood and silence pierced her mind. Out of pure reaction, she pushed the other Konoha ninja's away as they fought to make her leave. She wasn't even aware of her own chant of "no, no, no, no…"

When they managed to pull her away, Sakura's haunted eyes turned up toward Sasuke. _Why didn't you help us?_

But Sasuke just watched.

"_What happens now is on your conscience."_

Itachi's words rang through her mind.

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Sasuke watched something die in Sakura.

And he knew, when she looked at him in complete and utter pain, that he was the cause of it.

"Sometimes," Madara said quietly, "great love can give way to great hate."

Sasuke knew, on many levels, just what Madara was referring to.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 16: Them that Die will be the Lucky Ones**


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Them that Die will be the Lucky Ones

**Chapter 17: Them that Die will be the Lucky Ones**

(This chapter is no different than the first. I still do not own Naruto.)

"Damn it, Sakura!" Shikamaru shook the medic roughly. "You'll be no help to anyone if you don't snap out of it!"

The group of shinobi dragged her across the rubble-strew ground and to the safety of a narrow alleyway. There they rested; regrouped while the last member of team ten fought to bring Sakura out of her shock-induced coma.

"Haruno!" His own grief threatening to surge to the surface, Shikamaru balled his hand into a fist. Releasing his sorrow and rage into the punch, he soundly landed a hit into Sakura's stomach. The breath escaped the medic's lungs completely, and her body slumped to the ground as it fought to regain proper oxygen levels.

Shikamaru watched as she wheezed on the cold ground, knowing as tears sprung to her eyes that she was with him again.

"Sakura," he whispered. "Grieve later. I need your strength if we're going to beat this enemy." He expected her to cling to him regardless of his advice to mourn their friends after, but she did not. The tears lingered in her eyes, unshed, and she pushed herself up, nodding.

"Ok, Shikamaru. Tell me what you want me to do."

Resignation. That's what he heard in her voice. He studied her eyes for an indication of her mental state. If she were suicidal, it'd be no good to have her on the field. But Sakura's green gaze was unreadable—a first for the medic. For once, Shikamaru had no idea what she was feeling. Normally full of life in one way or another, his classmate's green gaze was almost cold.

An involuntary shudder raced up his spine.

He motioned for the other shinobi to gather around. "Ok," he said. "We know we're up against the Rinnegan. This is the opponent that killed the sannin Jiraiya. Our problem is we don't really know just what the Rinnegan can do. We've all heard stories, but all we can know for sure is its scope of power is beyond that of the sharingan. So, dealing with an enemy who uses eye jutsu, what should be our first goal?"

The Nara youth waited patiently for one of the other shinobi to answer him.

After a few moments of silence, Sakura's soft voice replied, "Blind him."

All attention turned to her, and Sakura did not meet any of their gazes. Instead, she sat, drawing in the dust at her feet, eyes fixated on the ground. "We blind him, one way or another. Take away his sight, and we're free to attack."

Shikamaru nodded. "We have two summons creatures to worry about, but the real danger is the summoner himself. If we can strike at him, the summons will vanish after."

"Are there enough of us for this?" A female shinobi asked. "I've never seen a shinobi take down as many ninja single-handedly as this guy has."

"If we can't do this, there's no hope for Konoha. There are five other breached areas. There's no one else to help us."

At that, Sakura looked up, her gaze hard and unforgiving. "We can't bank on anyone helping us. Relying on others is over rated. I'm ready, Shikamaru. Tell me what you want me to do."

He nodded. "Sakura, you're my key piece, so you're going to be in the most danger. Everyone else, you're goal is to make sure Sakura gets to each designated area."

"How are we supposed to get her close enough to blind him?" another ninja asked.

Shikamaru shook his head. "We don't need to get her that close to him." He tapped his finger on the wall next to where they stood. "These buildings are in the old part of Konoha. They're composed of a mixture of clay and red sand." His finger scratched the surface, and a fine powder drifted down. "With the right amount of force, they'll send a thick cloud of dust into the air."

Sakura nodded, remembering the how dusty the air had been after she'd seen one of the walls knocked in.

"Sakura, do you think you can focus your chakra enough to do this?"

She nodded. "I'm pretty sure I can kick up enough dust to do the job."

"Good. Now look," he explained, drawing a map in the dirt, "we're here. The summons are here, and the Rinnegan user is here. Sakura, you'll need to create dust clouds here, here, and here." He pointed to three areas surrounding the Akatsuki. "The dust won't remain airborne long, so you'll have to do this as quickly as possible. The rest of us will create a diversion to keep his attention off of you."

"How much time will I have, Shikamaru?"

He glanced at her and frowned. "I'd say three minutes. Tops."

Sakura nodded. "Do you think you can catch him in your shadow technique?"

He shrugged. "That's what I hope. Once he can't see us, I'll have a better chance of catching him."

"And if this doesn't work?"

He sighed. "Then we retreat back to the hospital."

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From his vantage point, Sasuke watched as the six forms of Pein advanced through Konoha. They left only death and destruction in their wake.

It was not as satisfying as he'd hoped.

This was not _his_ revenge, anyway. He would let Pein and Madara weaken Konoha. He would let them break down its hardest defenses. Then, when the only ones left were the cowering council, a few elite shinobi, and the Hokage, then he would make his move. Let Pein and Madara find the nine-tails.

After all, Naruto was part of Konoha. He was their weapon. That was, of course, what the tailed beasts were intended for.

They were weapons.

Next to him, Madara inclined his head toward the nearest battle. "I have always admired Konoha for this reason." Sasuke followed his attention to where a pink-haired medic raced toward Pein's blonde form. "They never give up, even when death is imminent."

_Sakura? What are you up to?_ The Uchiha watched as she sped toward her enemy, the other Konoha shinobi spreading out behind her. He noted Shikamaru in the background. _Don't be foolish._ For a moment, he thought she'd lost her mind and her comrades were racing toward her to stop her.

When she hit the first building—he knew.

Dust billowed into the air, blocking all but chakra signatures from his view. Then, as he watched, those signatures replicated until there were double what there had been. They spread throughout the area, making it almost impossible to distinguish one shinobi from another. All the while, Sakura raced around the area, pounding nearby walls and buildings into powder.

The nearby summoned creatures stopped their advance and turned back toward where their master was under attack.

"They're trying to eliminate his field of view," Sasuke watched with more interest than he cared to show.

Madara nodded. "A novice attempt given the enemy. They don't understand the Rinnegan enough. It is a futile attempt."

Three forms materialized behind Sasuke. The other members of Sasuke's team stared down at the burning buildings in Konoha. Suigetsu leaned on his sword, watching as Sakura came full circle, her mission completed. "Hey, Sasuke, isn't that my pet down there? She's gonna get herself killed!"

"Hn" Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"So what if that worthless girl dies?" Karin sidled up next to their Uchiha leader. "She outlived her purpose anyhow."

"Perhaps not." Uchiha Madara turned to the newest members of Akatsuki. "Pein has telepathically told me the nine-tails is not in Konoha."

"Who cares? Destroy the city anyway. Naruto will come to us once he finds out." Sasuke continued to watch as Sakura and the others below dodged attacks from Pein's summons. He saw one shinobi fall and then another.

"They might just be hiding him," Juugo interjected. "He's too valuable to put on the front line."

Sasuke shook his head. "You don't know Naruto, Juugo. He wouldn't be hiding. He's not here."

The Pein below them sent a nearby shinobi flying backwards. He moved through the settling dust toward the battling group who was focused, with the exception of Shikamarua and Sakura, on defeating the summoned creatures. Sasuke's eyes searched the chaos for his two classmates. They were no where to be seen.

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"Ready, Sakura?"

The exhausted medic nodded. She'd come too far to turn back now. Too many lives were at stake. If they didn't make their move, they might never get another chance.

She watched from her hiding spot as the enemy shinobi slowly walked toward the raging battle with his summons. Her eyes watched his every step as he entered the narrow section between two buildings. Any dust remaining in the air created deep shadows in the narrow space, filtering out the sun. Suddenly the Akatsuki stopped as if stuck in place.

Sakura smiled as he glanced down at his feet.

_Way to go, Shikamaru!_

She leapt out of hiding then, arm back, fist glowing with the last of the chakra she could spare. Odd, multi-ringed eyes looked up at her as she barreled down on him, and her fist plowed through layers of clothing, skin, and bone into his chest cavity and out of his back.

She pulled her fist out as the body of her enemy fell to the ground, her fingers curled so tightly they hurt. Sakura wiped the blood onto her pants. The adrenaline left her, and she shook with the effort it took to stand. She was almost out of chakra.

"Well done, Sakura." Shikamaru hopped down next to her. "Let's regroup."

Sakura nodded absently, stepping around him and heading toward the area they'd last seen the other Konoha shinobi. "Shikamaru, do you think the other Rinnegan users were defeated? Shikamaru?"

When he didn't answer, she turned around.

Held by his neck, her companion dangled from the grip of the newly-risen Akatsuki member. The hole in his chest was still blaringly open, but he moved as if it wasn't there.

Wide-eyed, Sakura stared as Shikamaru was tossed away from them, leaving her and the Akatsuki member alone in the confines of the alley.

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"I wasn't going to take any prisoners," Madara seemed thoughtful. "However, if you insist, Sasuke, I'll reconsider."

Sasuke, whose eyes were on Sakura as she struggled to escape Pein, replied, "Someone might be able to tell us where Naruto is. And if not, then captives will give him another reason to come to us."

Sasuke hopped down from the Konoha gate as Sakura's limp body rolled across the roadway in front of him. He walked over to her and nudged her with his foot.

"Sakura, you would have been better off dead," he whispered as he scooped her up.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 18: Aftermath**


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Aftermath

**Chapter 18: Aftermath**

(Authoress hands you a hot chocolate as you leave Kishi's world and step into hers But no…I don't own Naruto)

Sakura opened her eyes as a shiver wracked her body. She was freezing; cold to the point where she didn't feel the wetness of the water around her. Submerged up to her waist, the medic dangled from cuffs chained to the ceiling above. Her arm muscles strained painfully as she struggled to lift herself enough to grip the chains themselves. If she could keep her numb fingers working, she could alleviate the pull of her weight on her wrists.

Rain poured in from somewhere high above, drenching the part of her that wasn't under water already. The area she found herself held was dark, but dim light filtering in made it possible to see the outlines of stone walls and pillars around her. A good distance away, she could make out a partial wall that held the water in her cell. From the top of that wall to the ceiling, thick bars prevented escape to what appeared to be a hallway.

_Escape?_ Sakura shivered again. She didn't even know where she was, so how could she plan an escape?

Using her chakra as a continuous supply of warmth, she was eventually able to banish the numbness in her extremities. In order to stave off hypothermia, Sakura knew she would have to forfeit her ability to convert the chakra into strength. She just didn't have enough of a supply to attempt both. _Besides, these feel like Karin's doing. If that's the case, I wouldn't be able to break them anyway. _

The pink-haired healer's jaw clenched at the thought of Karin. _Sasuke's new teammate._ A heavy sadness filled her at the thought of what her former friend had become. _I should have let Itachi kill you, Sasuke. Maybe in death you would have found peace._ She let the tears come to her eyes as she thought of Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru. She could have saved them if only she'd let the oldest Uchiha have his way. She could have prevented all this. The tears rolled down her cheeks, mixed in with the rain from above. Sasuke was too far gone for redemption. He would eventually turn into the monster his brother had warned her about, and then he would unleash his hatred on the rest of the world.

Just look at what he'd let happen to Konoha.

Anger suddenly raged through her and she reacted violently, struggling against her bonds, kicking and thrashing in the frigid water. She wanted to find Sasuke and make him hurt twice as much as he'd made her.

"You'll hurt yourself if you don't calm down," a quiet voice echoed through the chamber.

Sakura glared at Sasuke defiantly as he neared the bars around her prison. She would remain quiet as long as possible. There were no longer words to be said that would adequately satisfy her outrage at him.

Sasuke's eyes were dark, his sharingan deactivated. "Where's Naruto, Sakura?"

Silence.

"Sakura, answer me. Where is Naruto?"

More silence.

Sasuke unlocked the small door to her cell and stepped inside, walking across the water to her. He pulled out his sword, placing the edge of the blade at her throat. "For your own sake, Sakura, you _will_ tell me where Naruto is."

Silence was no longer her weapon of choice. She pushed up against the blade, forcing it to cut the skin at her neck. "Go ahead, Sasuke. Hurt me. You're rather good at it, you know. But it won't change a thing. I will never tell you where Naruto is."

The way she talked to him, so unlike the old Sakura he knew, knocked the Uchiha slightly off guard. Ever since Karin had cleansed his memories, Sasuke could remember his former teammates clearly. The Sakura who dangled in front of him now, cold, wet, and hateful, made something inside his chest twinge. He knelt down in front of her, his expression cool. "Pein will not be this kind to you when he asks."

Faced with his hidden plea on her behalf, Sakura felt her hatred ebbing away. She tried desperately to grab it and hold on to it; use it against Sasuke, but her nature betrayed her once again. "Why, Sasuke?" she asked quietly. "Why are you doing this? We've only ever wanted the best for you."

He studied her for a moment. This was the Sakura he knew. She was still there, below the hurt and anger. Something he couldn't place compelled him to answer her. "You are a part of Konoha, Sakura. You're a part of the city that ordered Itachi to assassinate our clan." His sharingan activated along with his anger. "They _ ordered_ him to kill our _entire clan_! All because we were too powerful, too unpredictable."

Sakura's green eyes were wide as she stared into Sasuke's red gaze. She shook her head slowly. "No, Sasuke. T-they wouldn't…"

"Yes, Sakura." His face was inches from hers. "The place you're so loyal to killed my entire family."

She shook her head again. "No, Sasuke. It's wasn't the entire village! Maybe it was one or two corrupt elders. Danzo, why he's been a thorn in Tsunade-sama's side for years. They act without her knowledge or permission. It must have been so for the other Hokages as well."

Sasuke stood. "They covered it up. They are all to blame."

"And me? Naruto? Do you really think we're to blame as well?"

Sasuke didn't respond right away. He left her and walked back to the exit of her enclosure. As he locked the door behind him, he looked again at her shivering figure. "Keep your chakra going, Sakura. You'll be dead by morning if you don't keep warm."

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In the quiet of his chamber, Sasuke reflected on his interlude with the Konoha medic. She was wrong. The entire village was to blame. Those who saw a crime and did nothing were just as guilty as the ones who did the deed themselves. _"We only wanted what's best for you."_ He sighed at those words, leaning back against the mattress on his cot. He couldn't deny Sakura and Naruto had always sought to save him. They had cared for him. They'd pursued him. They'd fought him, and they'd lost him. And still they'd hunted him.

He wasn't sure what to make of that.

Pein would visit Sakura in the morning. If they could find out where the nine-tails was, it would eliminate the risk of Naruto finding them first, an army of shinobi behind him. The Rinnegan user would not go easy on the young woman. He would make her talk.

Sasuke closed his eyes, trying to get rid of the image of Sakura that lingered in his mind. When he failed miserably, he got up and left his room.

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Destroyed. Tsunade surveyed the damage from what remained of her tower. Most of her village was destroyed. Hundreds were dead. Hundreds were unaccounted for. Hundreds were stacked, side to side, in the hospital.

The quiet form of Kakashi appeared at the corner of her vision. She turned to him. "Well?"

He shook his head.

The Hokage swallowed the lump in her throat. "Do you think they took hostages?"

The copy-nin inhaled deeply, cautious in how he worded his reply. "We know they took at least one."

Tsunade's unforgiving eyes bore in to him. "Who?"

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Naruto shrugged on his pack, ready to be off on his journey home. He was confident that with his new Sage abilities, he would be able to finally bring Sasuke home.

He would finally be able to keep his promise to Sakura.

He couldn't wait to see her.

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"How's my pet today?" Suigetsu's voice rang out through the dank holding area. "Getting a taste of what it's like to be made of water?" He grinned at her through the rain drops that fell, ceaselessly, into the confinement facility.

Sakura grimaced, adjusting her hold on her chains slightly. Her chakra reserves were too low to fight off the mist-nin if he felt inclined to harass her.

As if reading her thoughts, he shook his head. "I'm here at Sasuke's request, not on my own intentions. You just tell me what I want to know, and I'll stay on this side of the wall."

"Go to hell, Suigetsu." Sakura's teeth chattered. "I'm not telling you anything either."

His smile vanished, replaced by a strange expression of concern. "You talk to me and Pein won't drag the information out of you. Nobody wants that, medic. Isn't self-preservation top on every shinobi's list?"

"I won't betray my friends."

"Sasuke said you'd say that."

"_Sasuke_ wouldn't know the first thing about it!" she snapped at him.

"You're too stubborn for your own good, Sakura. Do you think Naruto would want you to go through torture just to protect him?"

"Naruto would understand." Sakura closed her eyes for a long moment. "Please go away now."

"No, I'm afraid it's not that easy. I'm under strict orders to make you talk. Sasuke will be unhappy if you don't tell me something." He moved toward the door of her cell. "Believe it or not, Sakura, I think he's doing this for you."

She almost laughed. Almost. "For me?" she asked, incredulous. "He sent you down here for my sake?"

"I'm much better than the alternative."

Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously. "If you come near me, Suigetsu, you'd better kill me."

"Yeah, Suigetsu. You'd better kill her." Karin's voice carried in from the hall. "Or better yet, why don't you let me."

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**Coming soon: Chapter 19: I know why the Caged Bird Sings**


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

**Chapter 19: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings**

(I do not own Naruto.)

Suigetsu eyed Karin suspiciously. "I didn't know Sasuke asked you to come down here. Shouldn't you be drooling on his arm or something?"

"Of course he sent me down here. He knew you'd muck it up somehow."

The swordsman unlocked the door to Sakura's enclosure. Stepping inside, he melted into the frigid water, reappearing directly in front of the weary medic. He met her defiant glare with a smile, groaning inwardly as Karin strode across the distance to stand next to him. He didn't believe a word that came out of his teammate's treacherous mouth. He knew what she'd done to Sasuke. What the Uchiha didn't know was that it hadn't even been on Orochimaru's orders. She'd done it for her own purposes. Suigetsu was fairly certain Karin wasn't aware of just how much he knew about her. No matter how it was looked it, it all boiled down to one base truth.

He just didn't trust Orochimaru's former supporter.

"Let's break her arms first."

"That's jumping in to it a little quick, don't you think?" he asked. "She may respond to something less painful."

Karin shrugged. "Why waste time on things that might not work. I don't want to be down here all day, do you?"

"It doesn't matter," Sakura said quietly. "One day you will both be in my shoes. That's how Sasuke repays those loyal to him. So maybe you should watch and remember. One day this will be you."

"Shut up!" Karin slapped her across the face. "Sasuke would never do that! He obviously left your team because you gave him no choice!"

Sakura's expression was one of disgust. As Suigetsu watched her endure Karin's fit, he felt a reluctant admiration for the prisoner before him. She had spirit. She'd proven herself in battle. She'd almost bested _him_. So why was Sasuke so quick to dismiss his former friend? He was more interested in that answer than where the nine-tails was.

A tapping from the hallway drew all three pairs of eyes.

Sasuke tapped his sword against one of the bars, seemingly disinterested in the conversation. Suigetsu could tell, however, from the way the Uchiha's eyes flashed red, that Sakura had hit a sore spot.

"Karin, leave. Now," the Uchiha said.

The red-head bristled as a smile spread across her watery teammate's face. She rushed over to where Sasuke stood and hopped out of the confined area. "I was just making sure Suigetsu wasn't shirking his duties, Sasuke-kun. He seems to have taken a shine to your prisoner."

Suigetsu's smile only grew bigger. "My interest is purely intellectual, I assure you, Sasuke. Maybe it was Karin who had the ulterior motives. I had orders to be down here."

The Sharingan user ignored their attempts to discredit one another and instead asked, "Well?"

"She's not gonna talk."

"But he didn't even try!" Karin pointed at Sakura. "She's completely unharmed! I told you he wasn't going to do it right!"

"That's enough, Karin," Sasuke said coolly. "Leave us. Both of you."

Frowning slightly, the swordsman waited for Karin to be out of ear shot before he addressed his team leader. "Sasuke, you've only got a few hours before Pein will be down here. Maybe it's best that he handles this. She's not gonna give up the kyuubi without a fight."

At the implication he couldn't stomach harming Sakura himself, Sasuke's grip on his sword handle tightened. Wordlessly, he stared at Suigetsu until the other shinobi backed down, retreating up the stairs behind them. Once again alone with Sakura, Sasuke felt the atmosphere around him change drastically. When he'd entered the prison area, he could feel all three shinobi's battle anticipation. He could almost taste the tension in the air. All he felt now was fear.

Looking over at Sakura, who was currently refusing to acknowledge him, he knew she was afraid. That small revelation added to his foul mood. Sakura was more at ease with even Karin than she was with him. His jaw clenched in irritation. Putting his sword away, he entered the water-filled area.

At first glance, the Konoha medic seemed to be dealing with her confinement well. She didn't have the sickly pallor of death, and Sasuke was unable to detect any shivering. As he neared her, the small indications of mistreatment were more apparent. The medic's fingers, clasped tightly around the chains above her, were painfully raw from the unforgiving metal. Her wrists were worse off from the heavy manacles, and the tension in her arms indicated they were probably numb. Her former teammate could see the slow flux of chakra keeping her warm. The effort was enough to keep her levels below healing ability. Her green eyes lacked the anger he wanted to see, and were, instead, void of any noticeable emotion.

Sasuke pulled out two kunai and knelt down in front of Sakura. He watched her eyes as he brandished the weapons, wishing to spark something in her to force her to speak. He felt her tense considerably, but she remained silent.

Ramming the kunai into the wall above water level, Sasuke stood. He wasn't going to be the first to break the silence. She would have to take the initiative and use the step he'd provided because he wasn't going to instruct her. After a few infuriating minutes of her inactivity, Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he leaned over, wrapping his arms around her knees.

"Don't touch me." Her whispered words carried enough venom to make him pause for a moment.

He didn't reply, knowing her to be unable to back up her threat, and proceeded to lift her up on to the ledge he'd made out of his weapons. The elevation brought the medic out of the cold water and allowed the chains holding her to slacken. With her arms down partially and her body out of the cold, Sasuke had drastically improved her situation.

She watched him warily as he straightened and crossed his arms. He stood only a foot away from her, watching her chakra carefully for any sign she might be able to retaliate.

Satisfied that she wasn't going to try and fight him, the Uchiha allowed his sharingan to deactivate.

"Sakura."

She said nothing, but the emotion in her eyes was no longer masked. It was a surprise to him what he saw reflected in those green depths.

She hated him.

Haruno Sakura, once steadfast and loyal to a fault, now looked at him with loathing. Fear and loathing. Two things he thought he'd never elicit from her. An all too familiar twinge caused his chest to tighten and his jaw to clench. He fought the urge to leave the cell and break something.

Sasuke took a steadying breath and said through clenched teeth, "You're being stubborn."

"And you're being an ass!" she retorted. Her saturated pink hair plastered to her face as she spat the words at him. He thought she would have lunged for his throat like a wild animal if she'd been unrestrained at that moment.

"Tell me where the nine-tails is."

Her green eyes flashed with anger. "You mean _Naruto_? I'm sorry; I didn't know just who you meant for a moment there."

He cocked an eyebrow at her sarcasm, and Sakura continued, too infuriated to quell the barrage of words that tumbled out of her mouth. "And what do you think gives you the right to stand by while your entire village is destroyed?" She slipped slightly on the wet kunai. "That gives you the right to watch _our_ friends die? You let them die, Sasuke!"

"That's what war is. Every shinobi goes into battle knowing it might be their last."

"Whatever," she mumbled. "Tell that to Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru."

Sasuke saw her eyes glisten even through the steady fall of rain drops. She looked down at the water below her. Her rage tempered slightly, she once again refused to look at him.

_Damn it. _ Sasuke stepped even closer to her, his voice barely above a whisper. "What is it you would have me do, Sakura, since you seem to understand the situation so well?"

She swallowed, obviously nervous at his dangerous tone. "I would have you say goodbye to Naruto in a civil manner. If you truly don't care, Sasuke, just be kind to him once. He won't follow you if he thinks you're okay. That's all we've ever wanted. We just want to know you're okay."

"Hn. Be kind to Naruto. How foolish."

Her green eyes snapped up, meeting his dark ones, and Sasuke continued. "You think you have it all figured out. You think I'm corrupted with hatred for what was done to my family. You think I'm going to lose control over my cursed seal. You don't understand the half of why I've made the decisions I have." His brow creased in irritation. "What would you have changed about the recent months, Sakura? Would you rather I had left you with my brother when I thought him to be a cold-hearted killer? Would you rather I had left you, unconscious, on the battle ground at Konoha in front of Pein? Would you rather I leave you here now for him?"

"You make yourself sound so noble, Uchiha," she said. "You didn't come after me. You went after Itachi. I would have been an acceptable sacrifice if it had meant killing your brother. Your brother, who you say wasn't even to blame!"

His hand slammed down on the stone next to her head and Sakura flinched. Sasuke glared at her, the hurt from killing his brother rushing to the surface. It angered him to no end that Sakura was able to bring those feelings forward when he'd so successfully buried them deep inside his soul. Even now, after years of being apart, her adeptness at reaching his inner sanctuary was annoying. He placed his other hand on the cold stone on the opposite side of her, bracing himself as he thought of his next words carefully.

"That's your perception of the situation, Sakura. That doesn't make it true."

"Just as your perception of Konoha doesn't make it true!"

_Damn it, she is so infuriating!_ He took a deep breath. "Once again, you're assuming you know something you don't."

"Then maybe you should have left me for dead. Naruto would have come after you for sure, then."

This time, her logic rang true. Sasuke knew Naruto would come for him just after hearing about his involvement with Konoha. Sakura was an unnecessary point of leverage. Especially alive. Once again, she'd hit the nail on the head. This time, however, she was unwittingly too close to something Sasuke was not willing to reveal—even to himself.

So he changed the subject. "I brought you here for a purpose." He pushed himself away from her. "Tell me where Naruto is." He reached up, unlocking the manacles that held her. Sakura collapsed forward, her body off balance on the kunai, her arms too fatigued to help her balance. Sasuke caught her carefully, deliberately touching as little of her as possible. "Stop you're struggling or you'll end up in the water." She ceased her meager resistance at his words but her body remained tensed for action. She channeled her chakra supply to her feet, allowing Sasuke to support her while she hovered on the water.

Sasuke leaned in next to her ear. What he was about to say was only for the medic to hear. He felt the sharp intake of her breath. "For once in your life, don't be foolish."

He held her away from him at that point, letting his words sink in.

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Sakura felt Sasuke's fingers dig into her upper arms in his effort to hold her as far from him as possible.

She wanted to trust him. She wanted to think he wouldn't hurt her. The conversation they'd just had was the longest one they'd _ever_ had. But she still couldn't read his motives. The Uchiha was a walking contradiction. He'd imprisoned her, sent his teammates to torture her, and then asked her not to be foolish about her life.

She wanted to punch him as hard as she could.

"Naruto is in Stone Country. He's out on a mission from the Hokage. I was left behind because we needed support staff at the hospital." She watched Sasuke's face for a reaction to her lie. He gave her nothing. Instead, he bent forward unexpectedly, slung her over his shoulder roughly, and carried her out of the cell. Once on solid ground, he set her down, only to hold her at sword point once she regained her footing.

Sakura's eyes narrowed angrily. "Why free me if you're just going to kill me?"

"Karin will rebind your hands when we meet up with them." Sasuke said, irritated.

"I'm not going with you!"

His eyes flashed red. "This is not a negotiation." He pushed his sword closer to her, lowering it to the place on her abdomen he knew held a scar. "You're too valuable to Akatsuki. Your next lodgings will be drier."

Sakura knew her options were limited. She had almost no chakra to speak of, and even at full capacity, she was doubtful she could best Sasuke. Dieing accomplished nothing. As long as she was alive, there was a chance she could protect Naruto.

For a moment, Sasuke thought she was going to attack him. Instead, she sighed, her emerald eyes once again dim. That twinge in his chest flared up again at the sound of her resignation and he silently cursed.

"Watch me closely, Sasuke," Sakura whispered, ascending the steps. "You'll only turn your back on _me_ once."

Behind her, Sasuke paused. Even though he knew she'd lied to him about Naruto, what Sakura didn't realize was the fact that she'd told him _anything_ was enough for Madara to allow her release from the prison.

But at the tone of her voice as she'd issued her threat, Sasuke wondered if maybe he should have let Pein deal with Sakura after all.

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The last few miles flew by as Naruto raced toward Konoha. His heart felt like it dropped lower into his stomach with every step closer to the source of the black clouds on the horizon. He knew without knowing that something was horribly wrong. As he passed the crushed western gate, the blonde young man slid to a stop. His blue eyes drank in the devastation that surrounded him. He was almost deaf to the voice that greeted him.

"Uzumaki Naruto. We are under orders to escort you directly to the Lady Hokage upon your arrival."

Dazed, Naruto turned toward the masked ANBU. "What the hell happened here?"

"We were attacked by Akatsuki."

"Why?"

The ANBU shook his head. "The Hokage will explain."

Naruto let himself be ushered through the remnants of his village, his eyes locked on to the images of the townspeople rummaging through their destroyed homes. "Oi, Sakura-chan must be overwhelmed at the hospital," he said to himself.

The masked shinobi glanced over at his remark, but Naruto was too busy taking in the reality around him to notice.

The Hokage tower itself had sustained little damage. When Naruto burst through the doors to Tsunade's office, he had expected the voluptuous blonde woman to chastise him. Instead, her pained brown eyes turned to him, and she shook her head sadly.

At the window, Kakashi stood next to Sai, the copy-nin's exposed eye belaying weariness. The ROOT member also looked distressed.

"Naruto," Tsunade watched him carefully. "I have something to tell you."

Outside of the office, silence ruled in the hallways of the Hokage tower. Five minutes after the doors had closed behind Uzumaki Naruto, that silence was shattered by the outraged, soul-rending cry of a person whose heart had just been broken completely.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 20: This Is How You Remind Me of What I Really Am**


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: This is How You Remind Me of What I Really Am

**Chapter 20: This is How You Remind Me of What I Really Am**

**Author's note:** To those of you who have commented on the progressively dark theme this story has taken on, I shall say this:

_It is always darkest before the dawn_

And…

_Only through great sorrow can we truly appreciate great joy_

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Tsunade ignored the constructions sounds coming from every corner of the village. In one of her hands she held a scroll summoning her to a Kage meeting, and in the other hand she held written instructions from the elders ordering Naruto not to leave the village. _Wait_, she corrected herself,_ it's not to remain in the village, it's to remain in the village, under ANBU watch, under house arrest._ Her hand tightened around the newly received order. _They treat some criminals better than they treat him._

She sighed and looked up at the blonde young man in front of her. He'd been in her office all night, refusing to leave until she gave him the okay to go after Sakura. It was a call she hasn't been able to make yet. Her heart wanted him to go and save his friend; her brain knew if he left, he might never return. As Hokage, it was her duty to do what was best for the village.

"Granny, what have you decided?" His furious blue eyes were trained on the floor. "Are you really gonna let the council have their way? Sakura-chan is like a daughter to you!"

"I know that, damn it!" She slammed her hands down onto the desk. "It's too dangerous for you, Naruto."

"No more dangerous than usual, really." Kakashi's calm voice was the only indication of his arrival, and Tsunade's eyes narrowed in irritation. He was the only one who didn't abide by the rules of coming through the front door of the Hokage's office.

"You and Sai are not considered sufficient backup in an effort to take on Akatsuki and Sasuke. Our entire village wasn't enough."

"Tsunade-sama, I have a list of volunteers, including the remainder of Naruto's classmates. Shikamaru has indicated once he is released from the hospital he will want to join us as well." The copy-nin's words came out slowly as he stepped cautiously around the Sannin's temper. "If Naruto remains here, it will only tempt Akatsuki to come again. They have less of a chance finding him if he is on the move."

"You realize you're asking me to ignore a direct order from the elders," she replied.

Kakashi's only visible eyebrow rose. "How is this different from all the other times?"

The Hokage held up the hand holding the summons scroll. "Because this time I won't be in the village to keep an eye on them. If they retaliate, no one will be here to curb them."

"Then the sooner we get going, the further we'll get before they catch on." Naruto finally looked up, his normally determined gaze wavering slightly. "I'm going, one way or another!"

"Naruto, you realize you, and all your friends, will be breaking the law. There is only so much I can do to protect you from the repercussions this will cause. Is this something you're willing to risk?"

"I'm going, Granny Tsunade. Those bastards got my teacher, they killed my friends, they corrupted Sasuke, and they have Sakura-chan now. I'm going if I have to fight my way out of this village!"

The sannin studied his face. "I'm leaving in the morning. If for some reason various Konoha shinobi leave the village before daylight of their own accord, they wouldn't be noticed until I was well on my way. If there were shinobi who decided to do so, that would probably be the best time for them to go."

For the first time since his return, Tsunade saw a lopsided grin grace Naruto's face.

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"I gotta ask, Sasuke," Suigetsu glanced up from his sharpening work. "If your revenge was so important to you as a kid, how come you didn't just stay in Konoha and use the team you had to go after Itachi? Why spend half your life training with someone you ended up killing, and then form a new team?"

The Uchiha frowned slightly, and for a moment, the mist-nin thought he wouldn't answer. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Sasuke finally replied. "My team was weak."

"Weak? You expect me to believe that?" Suigetsu snorted in derision. "So Konoha put _you_ on a weak team. You know they look at future potential when deciding all that, right?"

Sasuke glared at him. "Hn."

"It doesn't add up. The girl's got a lot of useful abilities. You can't tell me she wouldn't have been handy along the way. And that kyuubi kid, need I say more? _Kyuubi kid?_ Jesus, Sasuke. What's the real reason you left?"

"Shut up, Suigetsu."

The water shinobi was not to be deterred. This was something he needed to know. He had a suspicion, and if it was correct, it would shed a new light on their fearless leader. So, unconcerned with Sasuke's quickly darkening mood, he barreled forward with more conversation. "Konoha had two out of three sannin, and you went to Orochimaru—Orochimaru who, I might add, was defeated by Konoha's current Hokage. So he wasn't even the strongest—"

"Enough." Sasuke's tone was almost a growl. "Go check on Sakura."

"Why don't you?"

The Uchiha didn't reply.

"Fine. I'll go check on her. She is my pet, after all. I guess that means the responsibility is mine." His sidelong glance at the Sharingan user confirmed at least one thing he suspected—whenever Sakura was the topic of conversation, Sasuke was always in a bad mood.

The Akatsuki hideout within Amegakure was impressive, and even though it was one building, it took Suigetsu quite some time to make it to the locked room holding the pink-haired healer. He peered in through a slit in the door, cautious not to let her catch him unaware as he opened the door. Sakura sat on a thin mattress on the floor, her hands bound with Karin's chakra ties. Her legs were free, and she had them tucked beneath her. Her green eyes looked up as he opened the door.

Feeling brave, the swordsman walked in and plopped down beside her on the floor. He grinned at her. "Sasuke wants to know if you're okay."

Her eyes instantly narrowed. "You can tell Sasuke to—"

Suigetsu clamped his hand over her mouth. "Let's cut to the chase. You tell me what I want to know, I'll tell you what you want to know." He removed his hand. "Deal?"

Sakura's look was one of perplexity. "There's nothing to hide." She shrugged. "So why not. Just no more touching."

He smiled. "So why'd Sasuke leave Konoha?"

He could tell she was caught off guard by the question, but Sakura recovered quickly. "He wanted power faster than our teachers were willing to give it. It was never enough for Sasuke."

"Hm. And that's it?"

"Yeah," she said, sounding slightly irritated. "That's it."

"Interesting."

"Sure. Now when am I getting out of here."

The blue man shrugged. "Probably never. Sasuke gave you to me. I don't see you going anywhere any time soon."

"He gave me to you?" She tried to cover the surprise in her voice.

Suigetsu nodded, his eyes glancing at the door. "But it seems like he's still getting used to the idea."

Sasuke entered the small room just in time to see Suigetsu reaching toward Sakura. The medic bared her teeth at him like a wild animal, jumping to her feet to put more distance between them. It wasn't until Sasuke's katana swung down in front of him that Suigetsu stopped his advance.

The two teammates stared at each other.

"You can leave now, Suigetsu," Sasuke said calmly.

"She seems fine. Not all that friendly, though." The mist-nin smiled at Sakura. "Maybe she'll be nicer to you."

Sasuke ignored him. "Are your chakra bonds too tight?"

Sakura's body lost the tension it had moments before. For a moment, her walls went down, exposing Sakura as Sasuke had once known her. She looked down at her bound hands and nodded. "Karin gave them a few extra twists."

Approaching her slowly, Sasuke tried not to be irritated by her retreat away from him. "I can't look at them if you don't stop moving," he said through clenched teeth. "Let me see."

Sakura's eyes flashed angry, and she turned her back to him. "I'll just have _my new owner_ check them when he comes back."

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke's irritation grew with every second her back was turned to him.

"Please. Suigetsu told me. At least if you'd given me to Karin she'd ignore me."

Realization dawned on Sasuke, and he made a mental note to clarify to Suigetsu his role with Sakura. The Sharingan user stepped closer to her. "Let me see your hands."

"No."

Before he knew what he was doing, Sasuke firmly gripped his former teammate by the shoulders and spun her around to face him. He chose to ignore the outraged, dangerous look in her eyes as he roughly grabbed her forearm and held her wrists up so he could see.

The skin was still raw from being shackled, and he could tell that Sakura was right—Karin had given these new bonds a few extra twists. He gently touched the red skin, healing it as his finger traced the markings. When the skin on her hands remained pale from how tight her restraints were, he pulled out a kunai and severed the bindings.

He felt Sakura tense again, and he wondered as he held her arm if she were going to try to kill him. Even though he was partially expecting it, he was still slightly surprised when she actually swung at him.

Sasuke activated his sharingan in order to better dodge her attacks, but he was unconcerned about being hit. Sakura's confinement obviously had taken its toll on her. He moved away from the medic as she darted forward. At the opportune moment, he swept her feet out from under her. On her back, the breath knocked out of her, Sakura struggled to regain her feet. Sasuke, however, had had enough, and he knelt with one knee on her chest, pinning her down.

"Are you done?"

She swallowed hard, and shook her head. "Never."

At her rasped reply, the Uchiha frowned. "I'm not letting you up until you relax."

Sakura coughed from the pressure on her chest. "If you let me up, I'm going to kick your ass."

Sasuke stared down at her face, finding himself slightly amused. Who did Sakura think she was dealing with? He took in her tattered Haruno garb, her dirt smudged skin, her hair splayed out in tangled tendrils. He watched her try to avoid his scrutiny. Being around her brought a memory to the surface; a memory accompanied by the twinge that had been plaguing his chest.

There was something he'd always wanted to do, ever since they'd been genin.

He leaned down close to her, stopping when he felt the heat from her breath. Red eyes met green.

"Okay, Sakura," he said. "Let's see what you've got."

Then he let her up.

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**Coming soon: Chapter 21: Lines in the Sand**


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Lines in the Sand

**Chapter 21: Lines in the Sand**

I do not own Naruto

Sakura pushed herself up off the ground, her eyes never leaving the Uchiha still crouched a few feet away. He watched with a predatory gaze, something she'd never seen in him before—at least not directed at her. She ran a mental scan of herself while she pondered his words. Chakra severely depleted, muscles atrophied from her confinement, the medic cursed silently to herself. Of all the moments, this one presented her the smallest chance possible to dish out the beating Sasuke deserved.

She was about to tell him to forget it, when he said, "If you beat me, Sakura, I'll let you go."

The healer froze. _You arrogant bastard!_ She balled her hand in to a fist. He was so certain of his victory over her that he'd offer her the one thing he knew she truly wanted. Forget better food, forget no more chakra bonds, forget no more daily visits from Suigetsu. He could have offered any of those smaller favors as her victory prize, but no, he wanted her to know her freedom was on the line. He wanted her to really fight him.

And she knew that he was aware she was in no condition to beat him.

She was suddenly so angry, Sakura felt like someone had stabbed her between the ribs, suddenly depleting her air supply. _How dare he? How dare he think so little of me. _ She wasn't sure what made her angrier, the fact that he knew she wasn't in any shape to fight him, or the fact that he thought it wouldn't matter even if she was. In her mind, what Uchiha Sasuke needed right then, more than anything, was a thorough, crushing defeat.

And there was one way, though it was a long shot, that she could accomplish that.

"And if you win?" The kunoichi folded her arms across her chest. "What then?"

"_When_ I win, you'll agree to be a more amiable prisoner."

Sakura frowned. "Define more amiable."

"Among other things, you'll answer when you're asked a question. You'll refrain from physical violence. And no more insults."

"Sounds like I have more to lose in this."

He shrugged. "Do we have a deal?"

Taking a good, long look at her former teammate, Sakura nodded. What she was about to do went against every fiber of her being. She was going to give Sasuke exactly what he deserved, but in a manner he wasn't expecting. If this worked out as she had planned, her freedom was a very short distance away. The medic steeled herself for what she as about to do, and waited.

After a few moments of her inaction, Sasuke broke the silence. "You're welcome to attack first, Sakura."

She swallowed the lump in her throat and softly replied, "You're the traitor to _my_ village. I think it's fitting that you attack me."

She saw the sharingan user's eyes narrow. _First hit—a success._ Watching him for any indication of movement, she continued. "After all, you've already 'severed your bonds', helped kill your classmates, and watched Konoha burn," she said snidely. "Attacking an unarmed, imprisoned female seems like it'd be right up your alley nowadays."

Sasuke's jaw clenched, a telltale muscle twitch at the corner of his cheek informing Sakura that she'd just scored hit number two. However, she needed him to be even angrier. She wasn't ready to pull out her ace just yet, though.

"Are you going to hit me, or not?" Sasuke ground out the words through his clenched teeth. He lunged toward her, intent on knocking her off her feet once again. Sakura was two steps ahead of him, well aware of what movements his body language indicated. She spun out and behind, swapping sides of the room with him.

"What's the matter, Uchiha? Sharingan can't help you any when I'm not attacking? Guess you can't rely on your bloodline again."

_Hit number three_. If she'd landed that as an actual punch, her opponent would have been on his knees. Sasuke, however, hid his increasing anger well as the medic continued to taunt him.

"Sakura, you're stalling."

She shook her head. "Stalling? I'm just taking the opportunity to tell you some things you need to hear. You were always thick-skulled when it came to people talking to you."

"This is your last chance, Sakura. Attack."

"Why should I? You won't keep your word. You're nothing but a criminal now."

Sasuke cast her a withering look and turned to leave.

"That's right. Nothing but a criminal." Here was her moment. "A criminal, a traitor, and a _murderer of kin_." Her heart dropped into her stomach as Sasuke froze mid-step, but she couldn't back down now. He straightened, his back to her. She knew she only had to push him one little bit farther. "All you hated Itachi for, you've become. You have already become the monster you have inside of you."

It all happened in a blur after that. Before the last words had left her mouth, Sakura found herself pinned to the wall, Sasuke's hand at her throat. Blood seeped slowly from his one eye as his recently acquired mangekyo swirled. He said nothing, staring into her wide green eyes. _He's still not going to do it. You're not in the mangekyo yet. You have to hit him one last time._

Though it was hard to breathe, she managed to rasp out her final barb. "You should have left me for your brother."

Reality slipped away from her as Sasuke sucked her into a world she'd only heard terrible rumors of.

A red dusty landscape stretched as far as her eyes could see. An ominous moon was overhead, lighting the barren waste around her. Sakura shivered despite the heavy clothing Sasuke's consciousness had seen fit to put her in.

"You forced my hand, Sakura." Sasuke's voice came from behind her, and she turned. Momentarily taken aback, she forced herself to hold her ground. Behind her stood Sasuke, but in advanced cursed deal form. Here, in his mind, he was the demon Itachi had warned her about.

Unable to move, she tried to control her breathing as he approached her.

"I never wanted to show you this, but you've gone too far. Now I have to teach you a lesson. I have to remind you of the position you're in." He looked away from her. "Remember, this is your doing."

He inclined his head and she was suddenly unable to move. Images sprung up around her, images of Ino, Naruto, and Tsunade. Echoes filled her mind about what a disappointment she was, how she'd let everyone down. Naruto lamented about how he'd always loved her and how she treated him like trash. Kakashi appeared and whispered how he never bothered with her because she had no potential.

Sakura couldn't even shut her eyes against the mental onslaught. She knew she'd brought this on herself. This was the only way to win. She simply had to endure. She had to focus on opening up the wounds she'd fought so hard to close over the last 3 years. She had to bring out the one thing that would save her.

Two tears sprung, unbidden, to her eyes as she wearily watched Sasuke through the haze of torturous visions around her. When she felt the air around her body warm, she knew she'd broken through her own wall.

Sasuke's took a step back as his control over Sakura wavered. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to sink to the ground. Around her, she could feel the comforting presence of her own control.

Years ago, this feeling had been given the name 'Inner Sakura'. She had even made it look like her. It was her fall back; her failsafe. Inner Sakura was that part of her that refused to give up. She was a separate entity in and of herself. She was the real Sakura who'd been pushed aside by years of childhood insecurity and school ground bullying. As Sakura had grown and matured, becoming more confident in her own skills, the need for Inner Sakura grew less and less. Unable to be rid of her second spirit entirely, she'd simply walled her up inside her mind, and dissolved her form and figure. Inner Sakura still existed, but she no longer had an appearance or a voice, just an overwhelming force of will. When facing an intruder inside her own mind, Sakura's second spirit was invaluable.

As Sasuke had found out with the 8-tails, the mangekyo had no way to imprison someone who housed two spirits.

Sakura felt the gathering storm around her, and she looked up at Sasuke, a dangerous gleam in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Sasuke," she said. "This means I win."

She battered the confused Uchiha with all the force she could muster. He struggled to hang on to her subconscious, but the strength behind her push was too much, and he was thrown out of her mind.

Back in reality, Sakura forced herself to her feet. She glanced over at Sasuke through cloudy vision, noting that her former teammate was more disoriented than she. Sasuke's shock of being thrown out of his own world had given Sakura precious time to make it towards the unlocked cell door. Fumbling her way out into the hallway, she could hear Sasuke's muttered curses.

It wouldn't be long before he was on her trail.

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Blood dripped from his nose as well as his eye as Sasuke recovered from what Sakura'd done to him. He wiped the warm liquid off his face, staring at the open door the Konoha medic left through. _She did it. She got away._ He took a few deliberate minutes to brood about what just transpired. She had it all planned out, and he had played right into it. Haruno Sakura had baited him, hooked him, and then made her escape. And he, the notorious Uchiha Sasuke, had fallen for it all. He was almost delirious with anger, yet at the same time, he was slightly impressed.

He wasn't impressed enough to let her get very far, though.

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**This chapter was short because I wanted to focus on Sakura and Sasuke. I'll make up for it next chapter. Promise.**

**Coming soon: Chapter 22: It's Not my Time**


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: It's Not My Time

I don't own Naruto

Sakura's pulse pounded in her ears as she stopped briefly to gain her bearings. The Akatsuki compound was littered with twists and turns, and she had only a disoriented sense of direction to lead her forward. The medic had no doubt she'd doubled back on herself a few times already. Hand on the smooth stone wall, she relished the moment of quiet freedom. Even when she realized Sasuke had caught up with her, she was strangely calm.

The raven-haired young man appeared in front of her, leaning against the same wall her hand lingered on. She studied his face for traces of anger, but found none. However, the very fact that he had come after her was disconcerting.

"We had a deal, Sasuke," she said softly. "Just let me go."

He shifted position slightly. "I know."

"Why did you follow me then? Why not just let me leave?"

He shook his head. "I can't let you leave."

"You can't stop me."

"We both know I have the advantage now, Sakura."

The medic wanted to be angry. She wanted to _want _to fight him; scream at him; throw insult after insult at him. But her inner fire had burned out with the brute force of its earlier fury. She didn't want to fight with the Uchiha, physically or mentally. At that moment, more than anything, she just wanted to go home.

Her eyes searched his, a contact she had been avoiding. "We had a deal."

"Sakura," Sasuke held his sword out, his gaze traveling down the length of the blade. "Do you trust me?"

"No."

At her quick response he glanced up at her, nodding. "That's good. That will make it easier for _me_ to trust _you._" He sheathed the weapon. "You're not going anywhere. We both know that. Don't make me carry you back."

Sakura tensed.

Sasuke motioned for her to follow him. "I'm not asking for your trust yet. I'm just asking you to not be foolish."

She shook her head slowly. "I've had enough, Sasuke. _I've. Had. Enough._" Her eyes flashed angrily. "I'm going back to Konoha, and I don't care anymore that I'm going back without you. You accomplished one thing—I just don't care anymore."

The Uchiha's usually stoic face shifted from indifferent confidence to surprise-softened anger. He clenched his fists until they turned white. Had she really just said that? Did Haruno Sakura really tell him that she didn't care anymore? Before, he'd heard her say she hated 'd dismissed that statement because hate had to stem from initial feeling. That was the nature of the emotion. It was when hate disappeared and indifference set in that it was time to worry. Sakura had reached her limit. What was worse—nothing about her indicated she was being untruthful.

She stared at him, meeting his gaze, her own eyes filled with exhaustion and determination. For once, Sasuke was lost for words. He'd always taken Sakura's devotion for granted. In his mind, her loyalty had been a force unto itself. But what had he expected? He'd abandoned her, kidnapped her, stood by while her friends died and her village burned, imprisoned her, and allowed her to be abused. Even so, Sakura's admission came as a shock. Sasuke felt as if he'd just witnessed the death of something he thought immortal.

Now he wasn't sure if telling her the truth would make a difference. Perhaps he'd misjudged the situation, and now he was past the point of redemption—no matter what his true intentions were.

Maybe it was time he told her the truth of things.

"If we remain here, other Akatuski members will eventually find us. That would go badly for you."

Sakura swallowed. "If I have to fight your leader himself, I will get back to Konoha."

"You're not helping them any by escaping." He watched her eye him warily. "You don't know the truth of the situation anyway."

Sasuke watched her hand slide down the stone wall as she straightened. The kunoichi sighed audibly, shaking her head. Doubt was written on every line of her face. That indecision was like a life-line for the Uchiha.

"Sakura, it won't be long before the other Akatsuki attempt to seal the buiju my team captured." At her outraged look, he held up his hand. "And then they will know what they have is not truly the 8-tails—only a decoy. When that happens, things around here will get much more complicated."

"A decoy?" she whispered. _Then Sasuke intentionally did not capture the 8-tails?_

Sasuke nodded, answering her unasked question. "Without the 8-tails, they can't seal the demon fox. It all has to be done in order." He motioned for her again. "If you don't follow me now, I _will_ carry you back. If I have to do that, I'll be less inclined to tell you anything else."

"I still don't trust you."

"Hn. You shouldn't trust me. Just follow me."

For a moment, Sasuke thought Sakura would bolt in the other direction. Her stance told him she was on edge; ready for anything he might attempt. He could have forced her compliance easily, but a part of him was repulsed by that thought and the fresh memory of how he'd sought to discipline her earlier. He still couldn't put a name to the feeling in his chest, but he could recognize his own anger at himself for ever attempting to harm the pink-haired healer.

"Fine." Sakura kept her distance. "You're right. I'm more valuable to Konoha here. But don't mistake this, Uchiha Sasuke. You and I are enemies now."

Though not exactly the declaration Sasuke wanted to hear, he didn't argue with her, but turned and lead her silently back through the corridors. They wove their way into a dark, dirty area of the compound, unfrequented by any of the inhabitants.

As he entered a dark room, Sakura paused just outside the doorway.

Sasuke stepped back out, looking at her in irritation. "Is there a problem?"

"That seems too close quarters for me."

"Large rooms echo too much."

She frowned slightly, but Sasuke didn't give her time to respond. He grabbed her upper arm, pulling her in the room after him. Closing the door behind them, he slid the lock into place.

Sakura coughed as the dust they'd kicked up infiltrated her lungs. The area Sasuke'd pulled her into was pitch-black, and she could feel three out of four walls within arm's reach of her. Sasuke was so close she could feel the heat radiating off his body.

"You couldn't find somewhere bigger than a closet?" she whispered harshly, extending her arm. Her hand made contact with his chest, and she jabbed him with her finger. "If you so much as blink your eye, I'll know it."

She flattened her palm on his chest. As a trained medic, she could sense the finite movements of muscles in his body just by touching him. If he tried to attack her, she'd know it a split second before it happened and have time to react appropriately.

"That's not necessary." Sasuke's voice belayed his annoyance. "I told you I wasn't going to harm you."

"Humph." Sakura didn't break the contact. "I'll tell myself that when I recall your attempt at torture not all that long ago."

The hurt in her voice was well concealed, and the Uchiha almost missed it. He felt a pang of guilt shoot through him at her words.

"You pushed me to it, Sakura. You _wanted_ that to happen."

He felt her fingers twitch slightly, and she ignored his comment. "You had something to tell me?"

Sasuke was quiet for a moment as he took in a deep breath, thinking of what words he should chose. If he wasn't careful, he'd risk everything he had accomplished so far.

"Sakura, why do you think I left all those years ago?"

"For power. Revenge."

The certainty with which she answered increased his irritation."Power—when I had numerous teachers at my disposal. When I hadn't even learned everything from Kakashi. Revenge—when Konoha would have eventually needed to confront Itachi anyway." He listened in the dark for an indication of her thoughts, but she was painfully quiet. He couldn't even hear her breathing. So he continued. "Revenge—when I had a team that would have readily helped me achieve that."

"You were frustrated," she whispered. "Jealous. Naruto was unwittingly learning faster than you. You couldn't stand to be second."

"Hn." He snorted at her remark. "I wasn't second to Naruto."

She didn't reply.

"Why do you think I tried so hard to break my ties with Konoha? With my team?"

Sakura swallowed nervously, unsure just where Sasuke was going with his speech. "You said we made you weak."

He nodded. "Weak. Weak because I'd already lost those close to me once. If I pushed you two away, made you hate me, it would be easier than putting you in harm's way for my revenge."

Sakura forgot to react when Sasuke moved, she was caught so off guard by his confession. He suddenly stepped forward, pushing her roughly, causing her to stumble back against the wall. Instantly, she went on her guard, but he didn't advance any closer.

"I pushed you two away, and yet you still came." Sasuke's voice was dangerously angry, and Sakura could feel the air in the tiny enclosure grow heavy with his rage. "You two idiots couldn't stay away! I almost had to kill you to get my point across." His tone lowered. "And here you are, still plaguing me."

The malice-laden air choked Sakura, and she cautiously straightened her back against the wall.

Sasuke could sense her fear. He ground his teeth, cursing silently as he tried to temper his anger. "Do you think I'm stupid, Sakura?"

He waited for her answer, thinking she was choosing her words as carefully as he was choosing his. When she didn't respond, he stepped closer to her. He wouldn't put it past her to attack him. He had to know where she was positioned, a major factor in his choice of rooms.

While still containing an edge of anger, Sasuke's voice regained most of its normal monotone. "Do you really think I'd kill my own brother, and then let the other murderer of my clan live?"

"Other murderer?"

"Uchiha Madara."

"Why are you telling me this, Sasuke?" The healer stepped away from the wall, unnerved that she didn't know exactly where he was at. When she felt his presence in front of her again, she stopped. "After everything you've put me through, you tell me this?"

"No one else knows."

"And now that I know? Now what? I never get to leave this room?"

"Hn. That's your decision. If you won't help me, Sakura, I'll have to take appropriate…actions."

"Help you? Help you what? Burn the other half of Konoha for revenge?" She almost laughed at his ridiculous threat.

"It's not Konoha who's the enemy. It's a select group of elders. You were right when you told me that. Madara knows this, and he plans on reinstating the Uchiha clan as the leaders of the village once those that betrayed Uchiha are dead. Once he's taken care of his lose ends, then I'll kill him."

"More killing. More revenge." Sakura sighed. "I want no part of this."

Sasuke stepped closer to her, so close they were toe-to-toe. "I need your unique ability, Sakura. Another reason you shouldn't have shown it to me."

"And if I say no a second time?"

"You'll remain my prisoner, but be bound and gagged for the duration of your stay."

"And if I agree to help you?"

"I promise not to gag you or restrain you, and you'll promise not to attack anyone. If you start any trouble, I'll have Karin fashion you a new set of chakra bonds."

The Konoha kunoichi closed her eyes against the darkness around her. She bit her lip in frustration at her former teammate's offer. At least if she were unbound she might have an opportunity to escape.

"Alright, Sasuke. You have my word as a shinobi."

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"Naruto," Kakashi's hand went up, signaling the team to stop. "Stay behind Yamato."

"What is it, Kakashi-sensei?"

The copy-nin frowned slightly behind his mask. Keeping his gaze trained on the forest ahead, he replied, "Two shinobi on the approach, directly ahead."

Naruto's blue eyes narrowed. "Akatsuki?"

He nodded. "Most likely. There's no point in running. We'll have to face them eventually. Everyone spread out."

The rogue Konoha team tensed as their enemies entered the area. Akatsuki cloaks unmistakable, it was the unexpected Rinnegan eyes that surprised the group.

"You're the bastards that destroyed my village!" Naruto's outraged snarl rang out through the woods. He pointed at them accusingly. "You're the ones that killed all those innocent people!"

The two forms of Pein watched him, their expressions blank. One turned to Kakashi. "Hatake Kakashi. I have heard much about you. Finally, someone worth fighting."

The copy-nin lifted his forehead protector, revealing his sharingan. "Naruto, remember, stay behind Yamato."

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Pinned beneath toppled trees, unable to move, Kakashi wearily watched Pein standing a few yards away from him. The unscathed Akatsuki reached into his pocket. Pulling out a long iron nail, he rolled between his fingers. "You have many jutsus, Hatake. I must kill you now. Leaving someone like you alive could prove to be a problem for me in the future."

_I can't dodge from this distance. _ Kakashi swallowed the lump in his throat. His eyes strayed to the still forms lying around him. No one in the Konoha team was left standing. Even Naruto lay nearby, unmoving. _ I'm sorry, Naruto. I failed you._ Kakashi blinked as a thin stream of blood from the top of his head momentarily invaded his vision. _Now, all the world will suffer under Akatsuki's rule. We've failed._

A movement from the Rinnegan user snapped Kakashi's attention back up just in time for him to see the nail in its deadly flight.

In that split second, right before the metal imbedded itself in his head, Kakashi sent a silent apology out to a certain pink-haired medic.

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Karin watched Sakura with suspicion as the Konoha kunoichi suddenly staggered.

"Walk much?" Orochimaru's former subordinate sneered.

Sakura ignored her, too sick to her stomach with the unexpected feeling that something was terribly wrong with her friends

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"_Shit! Get over here and help get him up! We have to get him to the hospital this instant!"_

Tsunade knelt over Kakashi as she waited for help. Placing a healing hand over where the nail protruded, she slowly extracted the offending object. Though she showed no outward emotion, she was deeply concerned.

Hatake Kakashi was alive. By all means, he should have been dead.

But as she looked at the vicious wound on his face, one thing was certain—

--the copy-nin's left eye was no more. Kakashi had lost his sharingan.

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**Author's note:** This story will be reaching its conclusion shortly. Probably, oh, 4 more chapters?

**Coming soon: Chapter 23: A fox in the Hand is worth Two in the Field**


	24. Chapter 23

I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter 23: A Fox in the Hand is worth Two in the Field**

Suigetsu glanced at Sakura. The medic had been silent since Sasuke returned with her in tow. Her palpable irritation intrigued the swordsman, and he wondered just what had happened between the two. She sat on the edge of one of the cots, arms crossed, brows furrowed, staring at the ground. Too bored to pass up the opportunity, Suigetsu turned to Sasuke. "So what's with the new addition to the group?"

The Uchiha didn't answer.

"I mean, it's not that I'm complaining," the Mist nin continued. "I just want to know if I have to sleep with one eye open."

Roused from her silent protest, Sakura shifted position. "You won't be my first target," she said softly.

From a few cots away, Sasuke frowned slightly. He watched his former teammate fidget on the uncomfortably thin mattress but said nothing.

"Am I a close second?" Suigetsu asked.

Sakura nodded. "A _very_ close second."

Seemingly content with her response, he reclined on his own cot. "So tell me about Hatake Kakashi, Sakura. I've been wanting to," he paused and flashed a smile, "meet him for some time now."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "I won't let you hurt any of my teammates." She turned her glare to Sasuke. "Any of you."

"Perhaps you should think more about your own welfare right now." Sasuke stood. "We'll be going back to Konoha soon enough."

Before Sakura could verbally attack the Uchiha with reminders of his recent activity and how there probably was no Konoha to go back to, Karin burst through the doorway on the opposite side of the room.

"Sasuke-kun!" The young woman's face was flushed. "They've got him! They've finally got the nine-tails!"

Sakura felt like her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. She was instantly on her feet. "What did you say?"

"The nine-tails. Pein brought him in just a few moments ago." Karin smirked. "Guess the other members of Sasuke's team really were too weak."

The atmosphere in the room instantly turned dangerous. Before Sakura could lunge at the other woman, Sasuke stepped between them. "Karin, Suigetsu, leave. Go find Juugo." He pointed at Sakura. "Go sit down."

If Sakura wasn't using all her will power at that moment to stop herself from rushing foolhardily to Naruto's aid, she would have railed against Sasuke's order. Instead, she took a few steps backwards and sat down on the cot.

When they were alone, Sasuke cautiously approached her. He sat down next to her on the cot and felt her body stiffen. At her response, he couldn't help but sigh. "Sakura," he whispered. "It is very important that you do as I say from now on. We know they can't seal Naruto without doing the eight-tails first. He still has time." At her incredulous look, he grabbed her arm. "Sakura, do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Though infinitely tired of being handled so roughly, Sakura didn't try to break the contact. Every fiber in her being wanted to scoot away from Sasuke's proximity, but she knew they had to discuss matters as quietly as possible. "I get it, Sasuke. I won't try to save him on my own." She lifted her gaze to meet his. "But if, for one second, I feel you're going to let him die, all bets are off."

"Hn. Don't be foolish."

"Then tell me what you're going to do," she challenged him. "Are we going back to Konoha to kill Danzo? Are we leaving Naruto here? What about Pein?"

"You're asking too many questions."

"I need to see him." The urgency in her voice wasn't easily disguised. "He must be hurt. They couldn't have gotten him otherwise."

"That's not possible, Sakura. Madara ignores my comings and goings for the most part. Visiting Naruto would be pushing my luck." His grip on her arm tightened. "I won't have you jeopardizing what I've accomplished. You will not seek him out. Say it."

At her silence, he reached up and grabbed her chin with his other hand, forcing her to look at him. "Say it, Sakura."

"If I don't?"

The Uchiha's jaw clenched. "Must you fight me at every moment?" He almost shook her. "I've offered you a chance to side with me. Why are you being so annoying?"

Her green gaze bore in to him. "A chance? You offered me a chance? From the moment I saw you again, you've been forcing me to comply with you. You haven't offered me anything." She tried, unsuccessfully, to pull away from him. Her next words were laced with sadness. "I tried to help you, Sasuke. I wanted you to beat Itachi. I wanted you to know the _right_ way to do it. And even then, you wanted to do it your way. You wanted me to lie down and die so I wouldn't fog things up. You didn't want me in your way." She'd never seen Sasuke looked as surprised as he did at that moment. "I won't let you do that to Naruto. I won't let you make him an 'acceptable sacrifice'. I get it. You've made your choices. I just want to get my friend and go back home."

Sasuke let go of her. He flexed his fingers and stared down at his open hands. "Sakura, if those are the impressions I've given you, you have never been more wrong."

She made a sound akin to laughter. "I was there too, remember?"

"..."

"Sasuke, please." Sakura buried her head in her hands, defeated. "Please. Please let me go see him."

The affection and concern in her plea made something in Sasuke's chest twinge again. _Does she really care about Naruto so much? Has so much changed since I've been gone? _"I didn't realize you two were so close."

He was accusing her of something, though she couldn't understand what. She glanced at him, suddenly wary of the person next to her. "Naruto is my best friend."

"There was a time when you couldn't stand him."

_And there was time when I would have done anything for you. How things change._ But she didn't say what she was thinking. Instead, she straightened and brushed the hair away from her face. "And I'll never forgive myself for that."

Sasuke fought the urge to press the subject. For once, he let the opportunity to inflict a mental wound pass. They sat in silence for a few moments until the Uchiha found his thoughts distracted by Sakura's closeness. She was only a hair's breadth away from him, a fact he was suddenly very aware of. The odd sensation and its accompanying confusion made him angry. _This_ was why he couldn't be around Sakura. This was why he'd left her in the first place. She did this to him—whatever 'this' was. Unable to stand the closeness any longer, he stood. "Sakura, if you defy me in this…" He shook his head as he saw the defiance in her eyes. "Never mind. I'll just have to take precautions from now on."

"Precautions?"

Sasuke nodded just as the rest of his team walked into the room.

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He'd broken his promise again. She tugged at the chakra line attached to her leg, watching as the thin string tightened in Sasuke's hold. He spared her a glance, aware of what she was thinking. He knew she felt betrayed. Again. But he couldn't risk her attempting to free Naruto. Too much was at stake.

"I can watch her for a while," Suigetsu held out his hand for the chakra rope.

"No."

"Geez, Sasuke. I won't let her go anywhere. Relax a bit, will you."

The Uchiha ignored his teammate's comment. He was far too irritated with his own actions to add Suigetsu's into the mix. He wanted Sakura to trust him, a goal he was getting further and further away from. He was losing her, and if he lost her then he would be down a valuable weapon when the time came to face Madara. Sakura's unique ability to combat the sharingan genjutsu was a key point in his plan now. However, if she would rather see him dead than help him, there was no way he could force her.

And he didn't want to force her.

He wanted Sakura's unquestioning devotion.

He sighed. There was only one way he could think of to help himself. He tugged back on the rope. "Sakura, come with me."

"Where are you going?" Karin asked. She glared at Sakura. "Shouldn't we be going after the 8-tails?"

"You will remain here," Sasuke told the rest of his team. "If we're not back in an hour, pack up and wait at the rendezvous point."

Suigetsu smirked. "Why wouldn't you be back in an hour? That seems like an awful long time."

The Uchiha ignored the implied crudeness, but Sakura scowled from her place beside him. Against her better judgment, she allowed Sasuke to lead her from the room like a dog on a leash. Once away from the others she stopped, the line jerking in Sasuke's hand.

He looked at her, irritation written on his features. "Sakura."

"Where are we going?"

He didn't answer her for a moment. He continued to stare at her, and she was unsure if he was going to yell or pick her up and carry her. He did neither. Instead, he sighed. "You asked me for something."

Realization dawned on her. "You mean…?"

He nodded, his dark eyes watching her carefully.

For the first time in a very long time, Sakura didn't know what to do. She was so unprepared for the act of kindness, she could only stare at her former teammate with disbelief.

Her obvious surprise made Sasuke's mood darken slightly. Was kindness from him so seemingly impossible that it rendered Sakura speechless? His jaw clenched and he tugged on her chakra line. "Come on," he mumbled. "We're wasting time."

They were cautious in their travel down the various compound corridors. Sasuke was tense, and he hesitated more than once to lead Sakura around a blind corner. She flushed the first time he stopped her, his hand spayed across her stomach to hold her back, his eyes scanning the area ahead. The gesture had such a painful familiarity and protectiveness to it that she almost jumped back as if burned. The Uchiha seemed unaware of the contact at first, but after a few moments, he abruptly pulled his hand away, flexing the fingers as he did so.

Eventually,they wound their way up a flight of stairs. The area around them was dim. Through various openings in the wall, they were able to look down into the room below.

The medic stifled a gasp as she looked down into the dungeon. "Sasuke," She grabbed the fabric of his shirt sleeve and pulled him to the window. "There… there's Naruto!"

Face down on the stone floor of one of the cells, the Kyuubi youth lay, unmoving. His clothes were torn, and Sakura could make out large red stains on the fabric. "He's hurt!"

Sasuke glanced down to where both her hands gripped his arm. "Naruto will heal on his own. That's one of his… abilities."

"No! Not when he's that hurt! He needs my help."

Her green gaze bore in to him, and he almost found himself ready to agree to whatever preposterous plan she had come up with.

"We can't save him now." At the sudden threatening look that overcame her, he quickly added, "We will have to be patient."

"You'll help me?"

He leaned in closer to her. "No, _you'll _help _me._"

**Coming soon: The Next Chapter**

**Author's note:**

I'm less than satisfied with this chapter for many reasons. But it's a "get back into the swing of updating" chapter, so it's bound to be a filler anyhow. See, I keep my promises.


	25. Chapter 24

I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter 24: I Grieve for Thee, My Friend**

Naruto was grateful for the numbness in his limbs. Even with accelerated healing, he hurt beyond anything he'd ever endured before. Three of his severe wounds had closed, but the skin around each area was angry and bruised a dark purple. He winced as he gingerly touched his tender abdomen.

_Damnit. Sakura-chan would have me fixed up in a heartbeat._ He sighed and glanced around the area that confined him. _Sakura-chan. I'm sorry._ He felt like he'd failed her, yet Naruto was almost certain the medic was still alive. He had always believed that he would just _know_ if something happened to Sakura, no matter how far apart they were. He couldn't detect her presence. All he could go on was blind faith that she was still okay.

"I see you're still alive."

The Kyuubi youth's attention snapped to the person speaking to him. His blue eyes narrowed. If he'd been more recovered and able to act on the rage that filled his body, they both would have been in trouble. "Sasuke!"

The sharingan user inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment. "Naruto."

"Where's Sakura-chan?!"

"She's no longer your concern."

"The hell she isn't! Where is she! What did you do to her?"

Sasuke frowned in annoyance. "She's fine, Naruto. Relax."

They regarded one another for a moment in silence. Eventually, Naruto spoke again, his voice strained. "I want to see her."

"I can't allow that."

"I want to know she's all right!"

"My word will have to be enough for you," Sasuke said. "You two will see each other soon enough."

"You bastard!" Naruto snarled, rushing to the front of the holding cell. "I won't let you hurt her! Do what you want with me, but you let Sakura-chan go!"

"How admirable. She must mean a lot to you."

"How can you even say that!" Naruto bellowed. "Of course _I _still care about her, even if you don't!"

"Does she love you, too?"

Clearly taken aback, Naruto stumbled across his next words. "N-n-I-I-well-

I don't know! And I don't, you know…"

"Don't what?" The Uchiha's eyebrow rose with the question.

Naruto's face was bright red. "I don't love her in _that_ way anymore, you idiot!"

His expression unreadable, Sasuke turned away from his former teammate. "The next few days will be difficult for you. I suggest you prepare."

Naruto watched Sasuke leave. As much as his heart ached to see his best friend again, the reality of Sasuke's recent activities weighed heavily in the blonde's mind. While Tsunade no longer considered the Uchiha redeemable, Naruto couldn't let go of the small seed of hope he'd nurtured since Sasuke left Konoha. The fact that Sakura was supposedly okay only served the nurture that hope.

Though they'd never talked about it, Naruto knew how Sasuke felt about Sakura. It was for that reason—and that reason alone—that Naruto had never disclosed his own feelings to the medic. It wouldn't have been fair to her. And, after a few years, his childhood crush had melded with his admiration of her, providing them both with an unbreakable bond of friendship.

If Sasuke hadn't killed Sakura, perhaps he still harbored some of his feelings for her.

For all their sakes, Naruto hoped he was right.

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"You know," Suigetsu ginned at Sakura. "I'm glad Sasuke asked me to keep an eye on you. I was wondering when we would get to talk again."

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"You see this sword?" He brandished the weapon, twirling it above his head. "This sword has two foes to pick from. Kakashi or Kisame. While it hungers for revenge, it also wants to defeat its brother-sword." He pointed the weapon at her. "You've held it. You know."

Sakura feigned interest as she tried to edge away from the blade. "It is an impressive weapon."

"Impressive? It's much more than impressive."

She stood and approached him, ignoring the predator-like way he watched her move. "How did you know the swordsmen again?"

Suigetsu wasn't sure just what Sakura was up to. Sasuke had taken Karin and Juugo, leaving Sakura in the mist-nin's care. That in and of itself was odd. Of late, the Uchiha had been overly possessive of his former teammate. What was stranger was the fact that Sakura was being nice to him. No, nice wasn't the word. She was being…attentive. Whatever her motive, he wasn't about to let her gain any advantage over him. He was almost certain Sakura knew his jutsus hinged on his hydration. She'd almost bested him once. He wouldn't give her an opportunity again.

"It's quite the story." He put his arm around her shoulders. "It all started back when I was a baby."

Sakura continued to nod as he talked. She made sure to over emphasize her facial expressions to make her listening seem genuine. She steered Sasuke's team member toward the table located in the center of the room. Once they were sitting, she propped her chin on her elbows in her best attempt at being enraptured.

Just as she'd predicted, after an extended period of time, Suigetsu began to fidget. Sakura did her best not to smile. She'd noticed this quirk in the mist-nin earlier in her captivity. Although he appeared to be composed of water, Sakura knew better. From observing him, she deduced his watery form was just an adaptation. She wasn't sure if it was a jutsu as she'd previously thought, or an adjustment Orochimaru had made in the laboratory. Either way, Suigetsu had bones just like any other shinobi she'd encountered. Judging by the way he couldn't sit comfortably, she knew he also had a kink in his neck.

"Um, I don't mean to interrupt," she smiled winningly, "but do you mind if I take a look at that?"

"Huh?"

She pointed to him. "I can help that, you know."

"It's no big deal. It's been like that since I was confined in the tank back in Sound."

She didn't give him the opportunity to argue. Abruptly she stood, positioning herself behind him in the chair. She placed a hand on either side of his neck. He tensed beneath her fingers.

"If you try anything," he cautioned, "Sasuke won't be able to find all the pieces I'll chop you into."

She patted him reassuringly. "Take it easy," Sakura mumbled. "I'm just trying to be nice. I'm a medic. This is what I do." She methodically worked her fingers as she talked, easing him in to trusting her. As she'd suspected, he was solid to the touch. His watery state was voluntary. "Some day you'll have to explain your ability to me," she said. "I'd be really interested, from a medical standpoint."

The mist-nin mumbled something incoherent, and Sakura smirked. With one hand she continued to massage the sore area of the neck. With the other hand, she smoothly slipped a rapidly dissolving pill into one of Suigetsu's water bottles.

Satisfied that he was unaware, she finished the deep tissue treatment and sat back down. "If I had access to my chakra, that would have been quicker." She smiled. "Never hurts to get back to basics, though."

Moving his head side to side, Suigetsu grinned. "Hey! That's pretty good!"

She looked at him innocently as his head bobbed.

"Wha.." He rubbed his eyes. "What's going…on…."

"Oh, sorry, Suigetsu! I forgot to tell you." She stood up as her chakra line slipped out of his hand. His head fell to the table. "I'm gonna be leaving."

Barely awake enough to acknowledge that he'd been duped, the member of Hawk closed his eyes to the image of Sakura jogging out of the room.

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"Sakura!"

The medic clasped Naruto's hands through the bars in the prison. "Naruto!"

"How did you—?"

"There's no time." She gestured to the chakra string around her ankle. "How about I free you if you free me?"

The Kyuubi youth grinned. "It's a deal!" He grabbed hold of the string and ripped it apart.

Sakura instantly felt her control over her chakra return. Her reserves were low, but if she focused miniscule amounts into the individual muscles she needed, she might have enough to do the job. Grasping the bars to Naruto's cell, she used the last reservoirs of her strength to bend the metal apart.

Her teammate was instantly in her arms, crushing her with the ferocity of his embrace. "Sakura-chan, I thought I'd never see you again," he said quietly.

Swallowing back tears, she returned the hug. "I know. I know."

"Where's Sasuke?"

She looked away. "I'm sure he'll be coming shortly. We need to get out of here. How do you feel about sewers?"

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Sasuke's attention was momentarily distracted from Karin and Juugo's training as Madara appeared beside him.

"Haruno Sakura has freed the Kyuubi."

Jaw clenched, Sasuke kept his gaze trained on his teammates. "Suigetsu?"

"Incapacitated."

He nodded. "We'll meet you in Konoha."

Madara stared at him for a long while before he nodded. "I let your mistake with the 8-tails slide. Do not disappoint me again."

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Supporting Naruto as they made their way out of the sewers, out of the city, and eventually into the forest surrounding Amegakure, Sakura used any extra chakra she had to discreetly heal her friend's injuries.

After the feeling of urgency lessened, Naruto asked her, "Sakura, did they," he looked away from her intense gaze, "hurt you?"

"They weren't kind, but I've suffered more during training sessions, I think."

He looked visibly relieved. "That's good. I don't think I could forgive Sasuke if he hurt you."

Her smile faded. "I don't know, Naruto. My faith in Sasuke is fading."

He chuckled, which surprised her. "He'll come through in the end, Sakura-chan. You'll see."

"He let Konoha burn. He stood by while our friends died."

"He's a shinobi." He cast her a sympathetic look. "Not a hero. You can't hold him to those standards."

For the first time in years, Sakura genuinely was angry with Naruto. "I hold him to the same standards that I hold myself."

"He's not us, Sakura-chan. He never has been. That's why he needs us. Sometimes people can't find their own way through the world. The path isn't as clear. Its people like that who need people like us."

Thoughtful, she was about to comment when a form descended on them from above.

Sakura scowled. "See, I told you he wouldn't be long behind us."

Sasuke watched them coolly. "The rest of the team will be along soon."

Sakura nodded, and much to Naruto's surprise, she started to walk towards the Uchiha. When the blonde didn't follow, she looked over her shoulder at him. "It's all right, Naruto. We're going back to Konoha."

Blue eyes looked from Sasuke to Sakura and then back again. "What?"

"Let's go." Sasuke leapt into the trees. "We need to get to the rendezvous point."

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**Coming soon: Chapter 25 : Time Changes All Things**

**Author's Note:** While I was hoping the end of this story would signify a vacation from fanfiction for me, I find myself inclined to start a new story. Many of you may not like it as I have decided if I do write another, that it will be an Itasaku.

That's right. You heard me. And in it Sasuke shall get the comeuppance I feel he deserves.

IF I decide to write another.


	26. Chapter 25

My apologies to those who have to read this story again in its entirety.

**Chapter 25: The End: Part One**

I do not own Naruto.

A large outcropping of rock on the outskirts of Fire country served as the rendezvous point. It loomed through the tree line ahead as the remnants of Team Seven did their best to travel in relative peace.

Sakura supported Naruto as they maneuvered through the trees. She worried about her friend, not just because of his injuries, but because of the strong emotional tension she felt between him Sasuke.

Sasuke stayed in front of them. The medic could see him watching them every so often out of the corner of his eye. He said nothing to either of them until they arrived at the base of the rock.

"We'll wait here."

Exhausted, Sakura sank down, letting Naruto recline against the smooth vertical wall of stone. She sighed and made to lean back herself when Sasuke grabbed her upper arm. The medic's nerves were already raw and she scowled, ready to lay into the Uchiha with all the venom her voice could muster.

"Sakura, a moment." His touch was gentle and his words more of a request than a command. The healer felt the anger rush out of her and she allowed Sasuke to help her to her feet.

"The others know of the plan?"

He shook his head. "No. It was necessary to make Naruto's escape believable."

She followed the Uchiha up onto a ledge of rock level with the tops of the trees. Sasuke crossed his arms and stared out at the horizon. He didn't say anything.

"Is there something you wanted, Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

The lack of affectionate honorific still bothered him. He continued to stare out at the landscape. "There is something."

A breeze curled around them and Sakura sucked in the cool air. For a brief moment, as she relished the sensation, she forgot about the person next to her who was now watching her intently.

Sasuke froze as a look of complete rapture came over his former teammate. The hard edge he had come to know melted, leaving her exposed. He saw Sakura as he remembered her, carefree despite the burden of shinobi responsibility. Her hair whipped around. Her eyes closed. A hint of a smile graced her lips.

After the long intake of breath, Sakura's eyes opened again and her smile vanished. She realized Sasuke was staring at her, and her she tensed again under his watch. "You were saying?" she asked.

Still watching her, the Uchiha frowned. "I want you to stay away from Suigetsu."

"What?"

"He's got motives of his own."

"And you don't want me giving away your valuable secrets?" Sakura sat down. "Don't worry, Sasuke."

"You're irritating me, Sakura."

"Seriously?" She scooted away as he sat down next to her. "You know, you have a lot of nerve—"

"I am not worried about me."

She paused. "Right. You're thinking of me?" Her words were sarcastic, and she almost laughed. But Sasuke's frown deepened at her comment. His silence made her shift nervously. The mirth in her voice faded and she swallowed hard. "Sasuke," she found she could only whisper, "I'm haunted by the faces of our friends. I can still smell the smoke and taste the dirt from Konoha's last moments. You have to realize whatever kindnesses you extend to me now are heavily tarnished. You can't fault me for feeling the way I do."

"You should not let your feelings control you."

She shook her head. "No, you're not allowed to give that lecture. Your whole life has been lived in anger."

He didn't reply.

"I should go back down to Naruto. I know what you really wanted to know, and you don't need to worry. I'll keep my end of the deal. I gave you my word."

She hopped off the rock and Sasuke let her go. He remained where he was, listening to the pleasant chattering from Naruto and the healer below.

Again Sasuke found himself wondering if the end really justified the means. Everything he had come to know was threatened by the presence of two people he had once cared deeply about. They made him doubt his plans. They made him think about the emotional ramifications of his actions. They made him regret. And though it was hard to admit, Sasuke wanted to begin to heal the wounds he left open in the wake that was his revenge. He wanted to be at peace.

Playing both sides against the middle was becoming infinitely harder.

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"I can't believe you didn't tell us!" Karin's shrill scream echoed off the rock, shattering the fragile peace that accompanied the dawn. "After all we've been through! She could have killed one of us!"

Off to the side, barely hiding his amusement, Naruto stifled a laugh. Sakura rolled her eyes and continued to run her fingers through her hair, newly wet from a quick wash in the nearby stream.

"She couldn't have killed me," Suigetsu glared at the medic. "She had to drug me to pull it off."

"I didn't have to drug you," Sakura replied calmly. "I simply wanted to." She looked up at him, her gaze mischievous.

Momentarily taken aback, Suigetsu paused and then broke into a fit of laughter. His chuckles eventually tapered off and he shook his head. "Someday, Sakura. Someday."

Leaning against the rock, Sasuke frowned.

"Oi, Sakura-chan," Naruto tried unsuccessfully to whisper, "what's that loud girl's name again?"

"Loud girl?" came the exasperated shriek. "Loud girl? It's Karin!" The dark-haired woman stormed over to where Sasuke reclined silently. "Are we really going to Konoha?

The Uchiha nodded.

Pushing her glasses up further on her nose, Karin threw her arms up. "Great. That's just great. What about our deal? What about the things you promised _us_?"

Across from them, the pink-haired medic's interest was instantly piqued and a dangerous quiet settled over them. "What deal, Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

Karin's expression was coy. "Oh, so you two didn't know? Could you be that stupid? You didn't really think we joined Sasuke just because, did you?"

"Karin," Juugo cautioned.

But the irate woman continued. "Suigetsu gets Kakashi, Juugo gets Tsunade, and I get…" she faltered, "and I get…"

The small clearing was deathly still.

"Whatever Orochimaru promised you, Karin, cannot be expected now." Sasuke's voice was cold, and he couldn't prevent the sidelong glance at Sakura as he spoke. The medic had gone pale, presumably with rage. He guessed she knew what it was Karin had been promised. In a way, he was glad of her reaction.

The look on Karin's face changed. Her features shifted from anger to indifference, as if she had practiced the transition many times before. "It doesn't matter. I'll go to Konoha anyway. You needn't worry."

"Perhaps you should go in our stead," the healer said quietly.

Instantly Sasuke was in front of her. He didn't touch her, but his gaze bore into hers. Naruto's yelling drowned out as the Uchiha sought to dominate with his presence alone.

Sakura held her ground, unshaken by the act of dominance. She'd been in the presence of Uchihas too long to let their mind games get to her now. "Who was it going to be, Sasuke?" she asked so only he could hear. "Were you going to betray them? Or were you going to betray us…again?"

"It's not that simple."

"It is that simple. Were you going to turn over your old friends or lie to your new ones?"

Sasuke glanced around the clearing. All eyes were on him, none of them pleased. He stepped away from Sakura, unsure how to deal with her at that moment. Naruto's ranting became louder and Sasuke put up his hand. "Shut up, Naruto." He walked away from them. "We head to Konoha. Hokage Tower."

"If it still stands," Sakura added.

The Uchiha ignored her.

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Konoha had made little progress in the time Sakura and Naruto were absent. Once a great city, the land was now only a labyrinth of rubble and dilapidated buildings. Sasuke's group filtered in through the old gate. Hokage tower stood in the distance, though a part of it looked to be damaged by fire. The hospital seemed to have escaped any serious damage, and some small homes and businesses around seemed to have missed the onslaught of Pein's attack.

"Someday, Naruto, you will have to tell me just how you defeated the Rinnegan user." Juugo smiled at the blonde.

"Hey! You bet. You know, I had been away Sage training—"

"He didn't mean right now," Sasuke snapped.

"Naruto, you defeated Pein?" Sakura stared at him, wide-eyed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Aw, Sakura-chan, it wasn't a big deal."

"But when? I thought after I was captured…"

"Pein hadn't left Konoha. At least, not his original body," the blonde seemed thoughtful. "But it is a really long story, Sakura-chan."

"Oh."

She wasn't sure how to feel. Naruto had come a long way in a short amount of time. She was impressed, but she was also hurt that he hadn't told her. Was he worried that she would feel worthless for being defeated in her own battle with the Rinnegan user? She supposed she did feel that way.

A noise within the rubble on their left side made the group pause. From out of the shadows a figure emerged. Sakura felt her body sag in relief as she recognized a tiger Anbu mask.

"Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, you are to come with me immediately." The voice indicated the face behind the mask was male.

"Is Tsunade-sama all right?" The medic was instantly suspicious. For an Anbu member to ignore the presence of Sasuke and address her and Naruto directly, with no question as to their well-being, was beyond ludicrous. Her brow furrowed.

"The current Hokage has been searching for you."

"Current Hokage?" Naruto glanced at his teammate. "What's wrong with granny?"

"Lady Tsunade has been replaced," the Anbu replied. "We are under the direct orders of Danzo to escort you to the tower."

"And Uchiha Sasuke?" Sakura almost whispered the name.

Restraint was evident in the shinobi's voice as he said, "Uchiha Sasuke and his team are to remain within the city. Someone else has been waiting for them."

"Who?" asked five unified voices.

Sasuke remained silent. He already knew the answer.

Madara.

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**Coming Soon: The End: Part Two**


	27. Chapter 26 Before The End

Before The End.

I do not own Naruto. And yes, I am still alive. Please humor me and read the author's note at the end of Before The End. This is a short update, just to get the ball rolling again.

Hokage's tower was dark. The once formidable walls were singed and cracked, and part of the tower was completely impassable. Sakura studied every inch of the building while she and Naruto followed the ANBU up the stairs to the Hokage's office. Though alarmed at the news of Tsunade's removal from office, everyone in Sakura's group knew it was best to play along for the moment. The healer and Naruto parted ways with Sasuke's group quietly, though Sasuke had given Sakura a slight nod before she had walked away. The meaning of that nod was still up for debate.

Sakura wasn't sure what her next plan of action was. If Danzo were a threat—and he certainly seemed to be so far—then was she prepared to fight him? Could there be another, more innocent reason Tsunade was no longer Hokage? Whatever the situation, Skaura would have to determine the truth of the matter. Sasuke's hatred of the Elders fueled the butterflies twirling in the healer's stomach, and she took a deep breath when the doors to the office pulled open.

"Uzumaki Naruto. Haruno Sakura." Danzo was standing, arms crossed, looking away from them out the window. "You have brought Uchiha Sasuke into Konoha. Is that correct?"

"Of course." Naruto peered around the office. "Where's Granny Tsunade? How come no one has been rebuilding the village?"

The new Hokage turned and looked at the members of Team Seven. His face remained impassive. "Tsunade has defected to Suna. I have Hunter Nins out searching for her."

"But Suna is our ally." Sakura placed her hand on Naruto's arm in silent warning.

"Not anymore," Danzo replied. "As loyal ninjas of Konoha, I wish for you two to bring me Uchiha Sasuke. I have matters to discuss with him."

Alarms went off in Sakura's mind. Danzo had known Sakura and Naruto were travelling with Sasuke. For the ANBU not to request the Uchiha's presence initially made the medic suspect Danzo knew Sasuke would not acquiesce to the summons. The Hokage wanted someone Sasuke trusted to lead him into whatever trap had been set. If Madara were in Konoha, there was a good chance he and Danzo had made some kind of bargain. Madara wanted Naruto. Danzo needed Sasuke eliminated if he had any hope for a long reign as Hokage. The medic's eyes narrowed.

"As you wish, Sir," Sakura said before Naruto could argue. "We will return immediately with Uchiha Sasuke. Is there anything else?"

The older man shook his head. "Do not delay. And remember, betrayal is punishable by death."

**Author's Note:** Yes, it has been a LONG time since I updated. Yes, I will finish this story THIS WEEK.

**My news:** I have finally signed my first official contract with a publisher for one of my original novels. Please look for it for sale in May 2012. When the official publication date opens, I will post updates on all of my stories with author information. After all, it would help if you knew my real name so you could buy the book, no?

Lastly, the final chapter of this story will signal my official farewell from fanfiction.


End file.
